Three Word Wednesday: One Big Risk

Over at my friend Amy's place she's talking about taking risks and embracing rejection and she decided "other people" should join in. I happened to be one of the "movers and shakers" she reached out to. I'm not sure if I'm really a mover and shaker. And taking risks and embracing rejection, really?

I was tempted to move along to the next email but Amy is too awesome to ignore. Three words also suddenly came to my mind. (That happens to me all the time now.)

ONE BIG RISK

I wrote Amy to asked her if my risk could be one I wake up and take daily. My email was raw and unedited and I'm taking a risk and sharing the raw and unedited version with you.

So...what I meant by each day feels like the same risk over and over again is, well... becoming a military family...RISK! There was the risk of a deployment becoming a reality for my family and now it is. Surviving these months apart, every morning I wake and commit to finding the JOY in the day feels like a risk. I'm afraid, dear friend. I'm afraid of what the day can bring. I can handle the small downs (or bumps) that come my way. What about the big ones? What if they come? What if this war takes my husband from me? What if???? Will I lose my faith in Him?

Every day is one big risk.

Today is another day where I choose to find JOY in the midst of a year without my husband. Today I choose to find JOY in a deployment.

I've realized, seeking JOY in a deployment is one big risk.

Satan does not like my word for the year. My One Word for 2014 is JOY. I'm sure he's slithering around like the snake he is saying, "Oh, have I got news for you, Beth. I'm going to steal your joy. Who finds joy in a deployment?"

After writing about my word and taking the risk to share a God-sized Dream, I woke the following morning on a JOY high. The high continued throughout the day. JOY was easily found over a cup of coffee with girlfriends and then the opportunity to spoil myself with a pedicure and manicure. I had a JOY-filled day.

The following day... not so much. Looking back, I'm certain it started with waking up to more snow. We have had enough snow already. The snow felt like one big rejection and I did not embrace it well. Instead of JOY-filled, the term Debbie Downer better described my mood that day.

Most days, finding JOY comes easily. I communicate with my husband daily and there has yet to be a day where I'm not able to see his face. So far there have been few "rejections" to deal with in his absence. But there are plenty of days when I want to reach through the computer screen to shake him and say, "I'm done. Come home now." The countdown until his return remains too big of a number. Why did I say yes to him joining the Army?

God, in His ever so gentle way, reminds me military life led me and my husband to Him. So this one big risk of saying yes to a military life, if I were given the chance to say yes or no again, I'd still say YES!

Saying yes was a step in obedience. Saying yes was a step closer to God. Saying yes was the beginning to putting our trust in Him. I wonder, how does one take a risk without Him?

The message in my ramblings, if God is calling you to take a risk, He will see you through it until the end for He goes with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9). Don't give up. You may be met with rejection, but He will reward you for your step in obedience. His reward will be far better than anything you can imagine.

Over the next couple weeks I will be more specific on risks taken as I seek JOY in this deployment, rejections I'm met with, and God's amazing grace as I keep moving forward.

{Can I sneak in a message to that crummy, slithering snake? "Go ahead and try to steal my JOY. You have no power here. My God is stronger."}

What risks are you taking? Come join the other "movers and shakers" and tell us about it over at Amy's.