Doing What Scares Me

I’m on my way back to India. I’ll be working on a book while I’m there, and I’ll do publicity for my “Blessings in India” trilogy.  But I’ll also have a wonderfully unique opportunity to gather stories from bright young Indian men and women who are taking the good news of Jesus into the most inhospitable of places.

This isn’t my first trip there, but this time I’m going alone.  Last night I awoke with all kinds of “what ifs” zipping through my head.  What if no one is at the sprawling airport to meet me?  What if the global turmoil spreads to India and I get caught up in it?  What if Dubai, where I will be laying over, isn’t safe?  What if I should be robbed?  What if…??

The thing is, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone.  And it’s called a comfort zone for a reason.  But in my opinion, a comfortable cocoon is greatly overrated.  Squeezing out of it has lots of benefits.  For instance:

• It builds up my confidence.
• It expands my horizon.
• It brings me satisfaction and joy when others appreciate what I have to offer.
• It allows me to learn so, so much from those I meet.
• It gives me gratitude.

One thing I can guarantee:  I’ll make some dumb mistake.  I always do.  But  here’s the thing: I can learn from it, just as I’ve learned from my past mistakes.  And I never want my fear of looking foolish to keep me from taking advantage of a rut-breaking opportunity.

I asked my 93-year-old dad, “If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?”  Dad said, “Nothing.  Not one thing.”  I like that.  Dad never went to India, or much of anywhere.  But he surely did a lot of things that affected lives, such as providing a home for more foster kids than I can name.  Some of them spent their entire childhood with us.  When I’m 93, I, too, want to smile and say, “No regrets!”

I’m off to India by myself.   Stay tuned!

“Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get up.”

~Chinese Proverb~