Fear will make you crash

A week ago, I was out riding a local trail with a friend. We came to a small drop, sized it up, & went for it. My buddy Sam rode this feature no problem. As I followed behind, I felt more and more uncomfortable. For the last month or so, I've felt this weird block with mountain biking. I was afraid of taking the drop, so I tried to slow down & roll it. This was my downfall.

As I peeked over the edge, the rock ran out of runway & there was only a flat bit of trail, designed to be jumped over. This was not a rollable feature. The nose of my bike went at near 90 degree angle straight into the dirt, while my body's momentum took me horizontally through the air to continue down the trail. I landed, rolled & ended up flat on my stomach again. Immediately I knew I'd messed up my right foot. After a sad, slow ride down the mountain, a walking boot, crutches, X-ray, & a couple days, it was clear that the top of my foot was severely bruised, making it difficult to walk for this last week & I'm certain for at least another week to come.

This isn't just a story about a mountain bike trail. If we live by fear, we will try to unproductively re-shape the trail of life to our anxious preferences. Courage uses capabilities, faith, & wisdom to flow through the challenges of life. Choosing the path of courage means I must change, not my circumstances.