Moving towards risk and danger

During Bob's Island Getaway (see posts below) we went sea kayaking. I had two young ladies in a three person kayak. They chose me to guide them because they mistakenly believed I knew more than they, though I kept telling them this was my first time, too. That's irrelevant, I guess. The point is, we went, and our guide took us to a place where the currents were moving pretty quickly, creating three foot waves, and a situation much like white water in a river... only riskier, and more dangerous. We road it out once, then we road it out again (though not completely on purpose the second time). By now, I'd had enough, as had one of the young ladies. The other wanted to do it again, but I was (I hate to admit it) scared - for their safety, as well as mine. I not only didn't want to get wet, but I did have a healthy idea of all that could go wrong, and was concerned that it might. So, we started back to safety. In the process, we had to cross another, less risky, tide rip. We got turned around, and the end result was that we got ourselves moving the wrong way sideways to the waves - a bad place to be if you want to stay dry and close to land. We eventually got ourselves out of that predicatment, but it left me with a healthy fear/respect for tides and currents on the sea.
I just read Seth Barnes' post, "Jesus went to Hell, and so must we," which reminded me of that trip. You see, the day after my kayaking experience, during my prayer time, God spoke clearly to me. Using that experience as a springboard, God showed me how comfortable my life has become, and how much I tend to move away from risk of all sorts. God made it clear that He wants me to embrace risk, danger, and radical living. It's going to take hard work, sleepless nights (not that I'm short of those already, but they'll be different), and pain, things I have allowed myself to avoid over the years of living in Moses Lake. Now, I'm not going to the Sudan, or even joining my parents in Morocco or South Africa. In fact, I'm not exactly sure what taking risk is going to look like. However, I know that God is beginning the process of moving me to towards a more radical life - radical youth ministry, radical parenting (as if home schooling isn't radical enough - which is the point, because it's not all that radical or risky), and radical loving of people - starting with my wife and kids. I'm not sure what this all means, but I want to go there... sort of. I want to because I want to obey God. I want to because I know He's got my best interests in mind. I want to avoid pain. I can't - not and obey and love Him, too. So, thanks, Seth, for continuing to challenge us to radical living, out of my comfort zone. It's driving me to God, and He's calling me "onward and upward."