I’m making a trade-off; risking the known for the uncertain.

Tonight I’ll give my last message at IronWorks, a ministry I co-founded nine years ago to sharpen men in the applying biblical principles to their very practical world. It’s been a blast but after 108 messages, it’s time to move on. There are other lands to explore.

Last December, on a personal planning retreat, I decided that this would be my last season with IronWorks in order to free up some time to, as they say, “pursue other opportunities.” There are so many things on my yet-to-explore list that I created a t-shirt to express my angst. “So many ideas, so little time,” it says. Several of those ideas involve more writing.

In a way, I’m in a mini-transition. Giving up a known pursuit with all of its rewards and challenges to pursue another has risk. I’m risking the known for the uncertain.

Isn’t that true of any dream we might pursue?

Our present path is predictable; another path is messy. We’re used to the routine of our present pursuits. Doing something wildly different has a way of its own. Our present structures must yield to another. And who knows what that looks like?

Our present path is visible; another path is invisible—at least to others. Our family, friends, and colleagues are used to seeing us do certain things. Switching paths means no longer doing those things or, at least, not all of them. We risk becoming invisible; at least for awhile. And who knows how long that will take?

Our present path is rewarding; another path is uncertain. We know the level of reward we’ve received and can expect. Pursuing a new dream, however, has only imagined rewards. And who knows whether they will really satisfy?

With all the uncertainty, why risk the known for the uncertain? How you answer that question for yourself reveals the size of your dream.

What trade-offs have you made to pursue your dream?