Calculated Risks

Take a risk?  Sure...after the Swallow has run through a mental checklist, and the result is a satisfying swing to the side of the positive.  More often than not, when an immediate and necessary choice has to be made, without the benefit of deliberation or hindsight experience, the Swallow would probably say, "No, thank you, I'll pass."  Call her cautious or fearful, but she rather be safe than sorry.  Two incidents yesterday drove home that point.

The first incident happened in the morning.  After hanging out the laundry, she went to a nearby supermarket to get some groceries.  Halfway there, a glance at the sky brought gray clouds into view.  Continue on to the store, or turn back home to collect the laundry and bring along an umbrella?  Her thoughts fought with her heart.  Only a few gray clouds...look, the sun is still shining...make a quick trip...take a risk...

At the checkout counter, what had been a few gray clouds had quickly become an expanse of gray clouds.  The sun was hidden from view.  The light of the day had dimmed.  After making payment for the groceries, the Swallow hurried home, trying to outrun the gray clouds but it was futile.  The Swallow was drenched just a short distance from her nest.  A (mis)calculated risk...standing at the cross junction, the Swallow realized that she should have listened to the Holy Spirit's prompting in her heart.  An immediate downpour seemed to emphasize this thought.

However, the silver lining in this gray cloud was that her laundry was kept almost dry.  Her Sovereign Lord kept the rain away from it!  His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, even though His faithful ones err from time to time...

The second incident happened in the night.  There was a collision between a car and a truck at the spot where a previous accident had happened less than a week ago.  Two accidents at the same spot within a week.  (Mis)calculated risks by the parties involved...for some risks, the result may be a matter of life and death...