embracing your risk zone

Guess what? I have another ship metaphor for you. Our ancestors spent a lot of time on ships, before there were planes and such, so I guess the idea of being a ship was relatable for a period of time. I for one am grateful for planes, even though I am terrified of them, because I get seasick on boats. But, for now, if you’re ready for some encouragement, let’s get sailing!

Around this time last year (wow, it was last year already?), For King & Country released an album called Burn the Ships. The title song for the album was inspired by Luke’s wife Courtney, who struggled with addiction to anti-nausea pills during their second pregnancy. After consulting with a doctor and getting treatment, she decided to flush all of her pills and break the chains of guilt and shame off of her life. The song “Burn the Ships” is my favorite song on the album, not just because of the video, but also because of the inspirational story.

It turns out that there is another story attached to this phrase. Although it is not confirmed to be true (please research this on your own), it is still a great story that is motivational and worthy of sharing. It is rumored that a conquest crew wanted to return home, but the explorer commanded the crew to burn the ships. There was no going back. They were forced to face their risk zone.

We have many “ships”, sources of comfort, in our lives. For me (and I’d never thought I’d say this!) my cell phone has become a source of comfort. To prepare for writing a novel about an internet shutdown, I turned off my phone this weekend to see how I would survive. A couple of years ago, it would have been like a vacation for me, but this weekend was very difficult. I would compare it to walking around with one arm tied behind your back. I actually had to pay attention to my surroundings and deal with the issues in my life. I couldn’t hide. I couldn’t isolate myself. I had to rely on other people (namely, my husband) for information.

What is your source of comfort? Maybe it’s preventing you from moving forward. In case you were not aware, you were created to fulfill a purpose on this Earth. Nobody is here on accident. That means you were designed with unique gifts, talents, and passions to change the world. We need you. And often, you need to leave your comfort zone in order to grow.

Before we start burning ships and leaving our comfort zones, we have to understand where we’re going. While the human heart thrives on adventure, it is not wise to take risks just to check “risk taking” off your to-do list. You need to have a goal, a destination, in mind.

Where is God calling you to go?

My destination is writing and editing. I love what I do, but sharing my writing with the world is the scary part.  I feel led to write novels. As a matter of fact, I’m writing a Christian dystopian novel that is way out of my comfort zone. I even started writing it sort of as a satire because of how much I loathe technology! But each time my hands touch the keyboards to write, God stretches me. He equips me for the next step. He helps me reach my destination, and He gives me strength and courage to leave the past behind me and make this new normal my home.

Burning your ships may be scary, but it’s worth it. When you keep moving forward, you will discover that the future isn’t so scary anymore. What is even scarier than moving forward is staying in the same spot for your entire life.

Photo by Nick Jio on Unsplash