Dear New Life,

As a result of preparing yesterday's message about "faith that acts," I've been spending a fair bit of time thinking about the impact of fear in my life.

I wonder if I truly know how much fear impacts my actions. I think the "big" fears seem like they are easier to get a handle on, but what's the aggregate impact of all the little or medium fears? Would I even call them fears?

I was doing some hiking recently and what I noticed is that my eyes would seek out the easiest path ahead of me. I would sort out all the various options and choose the path that seems easiest, driest, safest, less likely to end up with a branch in my face.

I wonder how much I do the same thing in life. I'm searching for clear, safe, easy paths by default ... by nature. Am I afraid of tromping through the underbrush? It feels too strong to say "I'm afraid" of the harder path. But whatever I call those lesser fears, they still constantly influence me and push me to the easier path.

But as I ponder the life of faith, I believe that God is calling me (and us) to create new paths at times and to be willing to take risks in faith against our fears, even the little ones we might rather label as preferences.

In the adventure of your life, do you know when it's time to veer off the easy path?

Joel VanderSchel, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team