Sometimes when I think about faith, it's in a completely un-spiritual sounding way.

I've taken some risks in this little life of mine: traveling solo across the globe to meet up with some new-to-me friends, switching schools half-way through college to go on a church-planting adventure, signing up to join a wild tribe of Jesus people (and having no idea what came afterwards) in Spain, moving to Memphis without a real job or a real idea of what life in the South meant, etc, etc, etc.

All of the above could probably be counted as acts of faith, and they were, but they were also decisions I made, choices I put into motion with the will of this life I've been given discretion and stewardship of while I have breath. Faith has historically, for me, involved risk. It's been a pattern of:

a.) a notion & a question: "Lord, is this a possibility?"
b.) a consideration: "What could happen if I...?"
c.) a choice: "I'm going to do/believe/start ________."
d.) a million acts of will & the power of God through the Holy Ghost: "Since I made this choice/took this risk/decided this thing, I will do/believe/start ______________ today; Jesus, help me."

This pattern has followed me through all the threads of life thus far, and I've learned something along the way: Though it seems the initial choice is the risk, the faith-filled decision, it's actually the last step that takes the faith, that carries the risk. The choice is usually easy for me. It's the gut-decision, the feeling in my bones and in my knower. The acts of will are the hard part. They're the part where I learn what it is to give my life.

Here's the real, hard truth: Yes, it takes faith to make a leap in a grand gesture, to change the course of your life in one fell swoop, but, Dear Reader, I would argue it takes a lot more faith, or perhaps a deeper sort, to be your real, honest self in the choices you've already made [your marriage, your friendships, your work, your calling, your church].

I've heard the phrase, "discernment through motion" before, and I think it's very descriptive of what this kind of faith/risk feels like: It's the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other-oh-there-you-are-Jesus kind of faith. It's awkward and fumbling. It's real tired sometimes. It wavers. It depends completely on the faithfulness of our Jesus and the life he's tucked inside of us: the hope of glory and a seal. It's the work of growing up into Christ [and it is hard work, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! ]. As Andrew Shearman says, "Jesus you get for free, Christ will cost you everything."

What a gift, to spend all we have, right, Dear Reader?

Make a choice, take a risk, live the everyday by faith.