Take Chances
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.” ~ Mary Tyler Moore
It goes against our human nature to take risks. We are afraid that we will fail if we do. We might fail, we might get hurt, we might embarrass ourselves. Whatever the consequence, we don’t want any part of it. All because we are afraid that any consequence of taking chances will be negative.
But what about positive consequences? If we take a chance, if we risk stepping out of our comfort zone, things might just go incredibly well for us. We might find ourselves greatly rewarded. We might find ourselves feeling accomplished. We might even become proud of ourselves. None of that can happen, however, unless we take a chance.
Moore knew what it was like to take chances. She had an incredibly rich history in television and the entertainment arts. She began at a time when things were still relatively new in her field. She knew that she would have to embrace something that did not necessarily guarantee success. Quite the contrary, she could end up crashing and burning in her field and her reputation as an actress could take a hit. She didn’t let that hamper her. She took the chances that were necessary and her star only became brighter and brighter.
As we grow in the faith, we find many opportunities to reach out to others by way of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. We learn, from an early age, that we are supposed to perform those acts as often as possible for as many people as possible. Yet, we are afraid that we don’t have what it takes. We are afraid that we might fail. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves.
God knows us. He knows what we can do. And He knows what we need in order to succeed. If we are willing to step out in faith, He is willing to fill us with whatever it is we need to accomplish the task at hand. As Saint Pope John Paul II said so many times through the years of his papacy: Do not be afraid.
FAITH ACTION: Take a chance today. Trust that God will be with you and choose to do something good for another person.