Risk: living for those in the ripple

10 years ago my sister, cousins and I gifted our papa with a granddaughter photo shoot. What I remember most from that day was the laughter - one particularly raucous moment after he told us that he was checking his outfit in the mirror before he came and “I said to myself. My butt looks good” in his amazing Filipino accent. I miss him a lot.

But today as I looked at those photos, I see someone who saw possibility in a road not yet traveled and stepped out. A risk that had lasting impact for generations to come. He left his homeland, landing in Seattle. Working his way up from a dishwasher, living at the YMCA to building a life here. And being an amazing papa- supportive, loving, silly and cooking the most delicious food! He could not stop making a whole feast even when his body started to deteriorate on him.

I think of my other grandpa who also left his hometown (in the Midwest- so not as far of a trek but still) and moved his family to Seattle. Seeing possibility in a job and a place beyond what he had known. I didn’t get a chance to know him, but I wonder about his influence in my life by way of family values and legacy.

2 men in completely different circumstances and for likely differing motives, stepped out of the familiar and it changed the trajectory of not only their lives but generations.

---

"I might not know you, but I’m living my life for you" Pastor Marion Ingegneri (quote as remembered by me so might not be an exact quote ;) )

---

Pastor Marion is a mentor of mine and this "ism" of hers speaks so directly to the idea of the ripple. The way we live is not just a stone dropping in the water, but it ripples.There is no denying that. We can embrace that with intentionality or let the ripple take whatever form the water chooses that day.

We may consider how our actions are felt by those around us, but if we do, it's often just on the water immediately surrounding. The reality is, sometimes that ripple has a much more significant impact the further out it goes (think tsunami). And like a tsunami- those effects could be devastating if we aren't careful. But they can also be magnificent.

I wonder how many of us live for the splash more than the ripple?

---

Now here's the thing - the splash IS IMPORTANT

Without it - without the initial risk moment, without the stepping out - there is no ripple.

It's about saying yes to the Lord for the present while understanding that our yeses reach beyond just the here and now.

---

I have no idea if either of my grandpas considered future generations when they made their choices or if they were purely self motivated. What I can say is that their decisions and willingness to risk had an everlasting impact on me.

As I say yes to this crazy and beautiful invitation from God to step into the unknown (ok every time I say that phrase Frozen plays in my head 🙄), I want to keep that in mind. Not to forsake what this is meant to be for me but to remember that it’s not JUST for me.

That's the crazy tension of the Jesus way - that things are both incredibly individual and incredibly communal at the same time. That He leaves the 99 to go after the 1, AND there was a 100 to begin with (ok, that's probably a whole other blog post too).

To all those who I don’t even know or who are watching my life (up close or from a distance), I am living for you too. I take risks for you. I choose a life of faith, keeping my soil healthy for the fruits of the Spirit flourish for you. I seek a posture of humility for you- we have so much more to learn from each other and in community than what we ourselves can bring alone.

I want you to see that Jesus is worth everything. That a life of uncertainty is not on shaky ground when it’s rooted in Christ. That God loves you and is chasing after you. And that he shows his love through people.

We are taught to be thoughtful. Cautious. Wise. And yes, I do believe that wisdom is important - like really, really important. But we can become so protective over our life, our resources, even the “gifts” God gives us that we stop taking God sized risks - the ones he is offering us. And in doing so, we miss out on seeing the fruit of that - not just for ourselves but for those we have not even yet met who are impacted by the ripple. Let us have enough faith to trust that God sees the beginning from the end and knows EVERY single life that will be impacted by our yes.

LET'S TAKE THE LEAP, MAKE THE SPLASH & LIVE FOR THOSE IN THE RIPPLE.