The Unknown

We all tend to fear the unknown.

I remember the first time I was in a lightning storm as a kid. It got very dark, and the rain got heavy. It seemed to happen fairly suddenly while I was walking home from school all alone.

I was cold and getting wetter by the minute. I stopped under an overhang at a church that was about halfway between school and home. While I was grateful for the shelter, this is when the lightning picked up. Flashes of lightning appeared all around me, followed closely by the deep boom of thunder.

I knew enough to know that I didn’t want to get struck by lightning. While I caught my breath, I didn’t want to leave the relative safety of the shelter. I started to worry that it was going to get worse. And it did.

While a part of me appreciated the unexpected power of the storm, I was afraid of getting struck by lightning should I venture onward.

So, I waited a few minutes and then a few minutes more.

The intensity of the storm only seemed to increase. It was windy enough that I started to get wet while still under the shelter. So eventually, I ran out into the unknown!

I ran most of the way home, and I was so happy when I finally got inside and got warmed up.

Since then, there have been many times when I’ve leaped into the unknown. I remember when I first kissed the woman who I would become my wife. I remember when I jumped into a pool of water in the Dominican Republic from high above.

Still, I recognize that I’m often not as bold as I would like to be.

Sometimes venturing into the unknown can be deadly. More often, it just seems scary. I think we should learn as much as we can about the specific unknown situation that we’re facing. We should minimize risks by bringing along the right tools and expectations.

But when the moment arrives, facing our fears is a leap of faith. We must jump into the unknown not knowing what’s going to happen.

This is what it means to be courageous.