Into the Fire

Once upon a time, somewhere in a remote field out in the middle of Texas, I found myself physically pushing away calves intent upon walking into the camp fire a group of us on a retreat had made. It was as if they were moths—and all of us around the fire tried our best to bat them away. I remember thinking, “How stupid are these creatures? Why are they insistent on going directly into our fire? Don’t they know any better?”

That is probably the point. They did not know any better. They had not yet learned how to distinguish light and warmth from pain. It seemed they practically had to singe their velvety noses before they learned what we already knew—that fire can be both good and bad. We couldn’t reason with them. And our attempts at re-direction was largely useless. They had to experience the fire for themselves before they could learn about it.  

It may be a bit of a stretch—but every time I thought of today’s reflection, I couldn’t help but think of those silly little cows. I have been thinking lately about the merits of embracing life’s challenges head-on. It is my natural inclination to avoid conflict and challenges. I tend to prefer a peaceful, calm (read: predictable) environment. I know that challenges help me grow, but racing to meet challenges head-on is, for me, tantamount to running full-on “into the fire.”

Let me clear: I am not in favor of recklessly heading into known dangers.  What I am trying to do is convince myself that conflict is good—and that accepting challenges provides the most personal growth.

It has been said “what you resist, persists.” If I continue to avoid challenges, the more they will be a part of my life. I do not desire more challenges, so how do I turn this around? As with most things, I believe it is a matter of attitude and perspective.

What would it look like if I not only accepted challenges in my life, but sought them out? What if instead of shrinking from challenges, I began to look at them as amazing opportunities for growth? I know that I want to grow, so I want to begin to approach challenges as teachable moments. I want to understand conflicts as revealing to me what I can and cannot handle. And during this growth in self-knowledge, I would begin to see more and more how God is with me and strengthening me through each challenge.

And, as I embrace my challenges more and more, they would begin to diminish in my life. This is not because there would be fewer challenges—but because I would no longer view them as such. I would see them as the life-enriching experiences they were designed to be. Maybe not quite as risky as little cows learning about fire—but certainly dwelling at the edge of my comfort zone—where life begins and I continue to march forth.