My husband Norm has told lots of stories of when he was a boy growing up in Northeast Louisiana; unlike him, I was born and raised in Central New York State. Coming from much different surroundings, I enjoy hearing what he did long before we met.
In one story, he talked about being paid for shooting mice. I guess cats were falling down on the job. Listening to his tale, a friend didn’t hear him right; he thought Norm said he had been shooting dice! We all had a good laugh.
Norm wasn’t gambling; he hadn’t even taken much of a risk.
Many today travel to casinos and foolishly risk their hard-earned wages for a chance to win at cards, roulette, slot machines or by throwing dice. Others would never think of gambling; yet, they unknowing take a risk walking on a slippery sidewalk, down a flight of stairs or driving in busy traffic.
Even marriage is risky business. The wedding license is not a guarantee of happily forever after. After 54 years of marriage to Norm, I’m glad we took the risk.
How many of us are willing to take risks to advance God’s kingdom?
The faithful do. Trusting God, they risk their personal safety; in many instances, foreign missionaries risk their very lives.
You might say they’re God’s gamblers. They follow in the steps of early church missionaries.
“… it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:25- 26 NKJV).”