Just behind Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains is a beautiful waterfall that freezes solid in winter. It’s a magnet for people who like to climb such slippery slopes and make it to the top. I had a friend who enjoyed this dangerous sport and he said it was a thrill; everything looked beautiful from up there. You must admire his willingness to take risks. As somebody said, “If you want the view, make the climb.”

In an earlier article by David Johnson, he said, “The life that God has given us is a glorious experience. We only have one chance at it as we live here in this world. Each of us is a history and no history is the same. One child can become a saint and the other a demon. Doesn’t that say something about the specialness of each one of us? Life is full of choices and many of them have risks attached. When we take full responsibility for our lives, it may not be easy. Upon hearing Jesus say, ‘Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men,’ they ‘immediately left the nets and followed Him.’ (Matt.4:19-20). They risked it all.

“To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to others is to risk becoming involved. To show our feelings is to risk exposing our humanity. To take a stand for what is right is to risk losing a friend. To try to share the gospel risks rejection. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. But loss of hope has a dreary end.

“To live life to the full, risks must be taken because one of the great hazards of life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. That person may avoid some suffering and sorrow but cannot experience the complete depth of living.

“It is far better to choose the way of love, the way of caring, the way of hope, the way of belief in tomorrow, the way of trusting, and the way of goodness – in spite of risks. Kermit the frog said, ‘It is a whole lot more satisfying to reach for the stars, even if you end up landing on the moon.’”

Climbing a frozen waterfall may seem risky, but what a view!

– Tim Johnson