Is it Safe?

“Are you sure that’s safe?” While we have had many people fully behind us in this move to another country this question has come up on multiple occasions. Most of these people that ask this type of question have lived in their own comfort zone most of their lives. They have never known what it’s like to be a minority and nothing would feel safe to them, but their familiar suburban home.

I think the majority of us don’t like to do things outside of what we know. We do whatever we can to be safe and comfortable. We don’t take a lot of risks or chances, especially if it’s going to make us uncomfortable. It’s natural. I feel the exact same way at times. There are questions that go through Brian and my head as the day approaches when we will drive to Mexico. Questions like, “Will we be safe? Are we crazy for giving up a great job in a bad economy? How long will we be able to make it financially? Can we sell our house?...”

Yesterday I was reminded of an ancient story, taken place somewhere in the 700s BC. A man that probably enjoyed the comfort of the suburbs like myself, but when God calls him to go to one of the wickedest cities of the time his reaction tells me he did not just think, “Are you sure that’s safe?” But, “NO, Way! That’s not safe?!” Safety was a big motivation for Jonah, if it wasn’t he would not have headed in the complete opposite direction. Granted I probably would have responded similarly. He was asked to go to the most dangerous place in his known world. I get nervous at times meeting new people, let alone, if I were Jonah being asked to go to a city were there’s a high chance they will kill me or do bodily harm when I let them know my message.

But what happens to Jonah? He meets calamity when he is “supposedly” in the statistically safer place and is completely protected when he actually does speak out in the great evil city of Nineveh, doing what God wants him to do.

If he would have gotten advice from one of his buddies they would have reaffirmed his decision to run! Yet, what good would that negative advice done for Jonah. It would have been wrong.

Like Jonah, I think that I can protect myself or my children from harm if I can control everything. I wonder if I and those around me have a false sense of security. We try to protect ourselves and our children as much as we can, but ultimately it’s out of our hands. While there is nothing wrong in being safe, could the safety we seek possibly be in the way of doing something better? Are those doubts and questions about safety and security holding us back? Does focusing on security and safety in life cause us to ignore an even bigger voice? I guess those would be my questions to the ones who might ask, “Are you sure it’s safe?”