all promises find their Yes in Him

What if...is a dangerous place to be. We look at a situation and wonder "what if..."

Example: What if...I go skiing and get a concussion and die.

That is a rather extreme example. I may have thought this at one point in my life. Or several points. BUT the point is that what if keeps us from life. What if keeps us from experiencing things that may scare us or make us angry or break our hearts or enrich our lives.

What if I made a mistake? What if I left Kansas City in May? What if I stayed in Kansas City in May? What if I embarrass myself? What if I run out of money? What if I never go back to Haiti? What if I get stuck living the American Dream and am too scared or comfortable to get out?

In the last few weeks I have gotten in the habit of shutting myself up if I catch myself asking "what if?" Because I don't want to miss out on life.

The God who made the world

and everything in it,

being Lord of Heaven and Earth,

does not live in temples made by man,

nor is He served by human hands,

as though He needed anything,

since He himself gives to mankind

life and breath and everything.

And He made from one man every nation of mankind

to live on all the face of the earth,

having determined allotted periods

and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

that they should seek God,

in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him

and find Him.

Yet He is actually not far from each one of us,

for "In him we live and move and have our being."

(Acts 17:24-28)

I'm not sure I know how that passage technically makes me stop asking what ifs, but it seems to point out that I have no control over my life. We get life and breath and movement and the ability to think and connect and love and hurt and empathize and yell and scream and laugh from Him. So listen to the directions, follow the lead set in front of you, and go live.

I am pretty sure this is what life could feel like if I stopped asking what if.