Weigh-In 57

You ever feel like you are right on the edge of something? You're looking over and seeing all of it laid out before you but you are still standing up there. Too far forward to just go back but not quite off the ledge yet.

There's this tension between letting go and falling into the new and holding on and staying safe with the old. It's almost like defying gravity, even if for only a second, and being in between the bonds of physical law and the freedom of flight.

I find myself in this tension on a regular basis lately. Sometimes it's a good thing to be "grounded" and only see over the edge. Temptation to sin or compromise my character are like this. There is that "gravity defying" moment where you have a last chance to decide to stand or fall. Ideally, you have some guardrails that can keep you safe before you get to the edge, but I think we've all been there before.

Other times, looking over the edge is as far as you get when something new comes along. How many times have you felt the draw, the calling, to move to something new but stayed in your comfort zone. Happy with the old or scared of changing, we stand on the edge - unable to really resist the pull on our hearts but unwilling to give up what we have or what we know to be familiar.

I think that tension is present in all of us. We are called to help others, to love people in all of their messed up and broken nature. We are caught between that pull and the desire to stay simple, to not get tied up in other people's mess or drama.

But when we just stand on the edge and look over, we miss out. We miss out on the opportunity to be a blessing and to be blessed. Every time I have felt called to help someone, I've had this tension. And every time I've decided to stay safe and comfortable I've had some level of regret.

Now, not every time that I decided to get involved did things turn out all nice and pretty. But I don't think it was the wrong choice to try to help. At a minimum, I learned things about myself and others. And generally, the experience has been good for all involved (even though the good sometimes takes years to be seen).

So, think about that next time you find your self defying gravity on the edge of a situation or decision. Discern what is holding you back and what is calling you forward. Don't let comfort and familiarity dictate your decisions. You just might find something pleasantly surprising when you let go....

Now for this week's 210 in 2010 update:

Getting back to running has been great and looks to be paying dividends. I weighed this morning and saw

223.0

Good to see some of the old progress this week. Now to keep that pace as I have 13lbs to go in the 10 or so weeks left in the year...

Remember, we still need your help in raising funds for Love146. You can leave me a comment here, email me, hit me up on twitter or facebook, and now you can even help through a "birthday wish" thanks to the folks at causes.com. Thanks in advance for your support.

Photo credit to tuppus.