the game of risk

back when i first started blogging, i wrote a post titled, "the rest of the story".  i thought about that post today.

this post is similar, but also different.  same title, different story.

when i was a child, we had a board game called, "risk".  it was one of my favorite games.

this past weekend my sister visited cali.  the vehicle for her trip was to hold a CAbi party, which is how she makes a living.  the blessing of her trip, was significantly greater than making a living.  it was about doing life.

i've told you before that i am not a jealous person, but for one element.  i'm jealous of family.  (ick.)

now onto the story-

about six years ago, my sister was at a crossroads.  her husband announced that he might be ready to move on.  my sister spent the better part of the next eighteen months fighting for her marriage, but in the process felt prompted to reinvent her career.  she was a graduate of the fashion institute of technology in new york, held a degree from bowling green state university, had years of a career in buying/selling with liz claiborne (back in their heyday), and more experience with menswear design and selling.  her reinvention fell into the hands of a direct marketing company called carol anderson by invitation.  i thought she was a bit loco taking that on in her current state, if i were telling the truth (which i am).  but that is what she did.

fast forward to now- selling CAbi is her gig.  she does it with va-voom.  i am not even sure how to best articulate it, but she rocks out this business (along with some other ones) with finesse.  she doesn't sell for the sake of selling.  she sells while being true to herself- a truth teller- never letting a customer buy something that she doesn't think will be fab on their body type, never encouraging a woman to buy outside of their means- and always reaching in for the personal connection and the relational to be far more valuable than the sale.

i digress, as usual.

my sisters "plan b" has been the vehicle for so much more than she ever intended.

and i get to be the recipient.

you see, i love me some CAbi.  i love me some par-tay.  all of that is a huge "YES".  but there is so much more.

having a CAbi party also allows my girls some "auntie time".  living away from fam is hard, but getting frequent visits from a relative eases the blow of not having your peeps around the corner.  she gets to be present, while doing what she needs to do.

on her spring visit, we went to oakland for a family bocce fest.  it was amazeballs.  my kids talk about it often.  on the most recent visit, we took in a giants game.  they will remember it forever.

but why does any of this matter for a blog post?

it's because the choices you make today have impact on so many people around you.  your plan "b" can become the vehicle that makes a difference in the lives of those that you care about immensely.

heather didn't necessarily want to be a traveling clothing show salesperson.  she rocks it, she does.  but if you had asked her a few years ago if this was her dream gig, i am not sure she would have said "yes".

one of her fears at the onset of her divorce was that she would never travel again.  no longer a fear.  the girl travels around the country having an opportunity to "do life" with more people than she ever could have before.

it took courage.

it took vision.

and it takes selflessness to rock out "traveling step-mom", "traveling wife", "traveling mother" to fulfill the plan that she never had before.

and i get to reap the blessing.  i get time with my sister.  my kids get time with their auntie.  and we all win.

it takes me to this place of being able to embrace the beauty of what lies beneath.  we all have a plan for our lives.  and if you are anything like me, you have come to realize and appreciate the fact that plans are plans.  they don't always come to fruition.

but sometimes taking risks and being willing to say "yes" to something you didn't plan is the best "yes" you can ever say.

the gifts aren't always foreseeable.  the benefits aren't always clear.  but if you travel the path that God designs, it is sure to be filled with blessings.  heather never knew that the yes to CAbi would be the vehicle to seeing old friends and family members from near and far.  and yet that is what it has been for her.

and if i were able to speak for her, i would say that that this gig was God ordained and planned out in advance.

her roll in all of this was listening to his call.  she listened.  she responded.  and she (and the rest of us) get to reap the benefit of that obedience.  it has all panned out in much larger ways than anyone could have imagined, but panned out it has.

i can attest to that personally.  my kids will back me up and so will my hubs.  win.  win.  win.  her risk has allowed my peeps to experience family in a way that i never could have imagined.

and so i ponder. am i willing to take risks today that nudge on my heart (the ever present pull of the Holy Spirit), that will pay out dividends that i can't even imagine?  do i let myself say "yes" to things that don't always make perfect sense and draw me out of my comfort zone?  do i bring God along for the ride?  or do i control the heck out of my life, causing me to miss the blessings that throwing caution to the wind would unfold?

i, myself, tend to be a control freak.  true story.  but in watching my sister, i am learning that letting it all go, and letting God take the driver's seat reaps benefits that i could never conjure up.  the payout is much larger for me, and those in my circle, than i could ever have imagined.