Near the end of last year, I began to have some serious pain in my knee. This was the knee that had already been "reconstructed" back in 1994 due to a torn ACL.

Following an MRI, I was told there was damage to a different ligament as well as to cartilage. The treatment, for then, was rest and ice. Only when the pain becomes more significant will we take any drastic measures.

As I spoke with the doctor, I was surprised to hear him say, "I’m not a big fan of sports." His reasoning was simple. A large number of injuries take place when people are playing. My first thought was that the elimination of sports could put a big dent in his business.

There is a lot of discussion today about football and concussions. I know some parents who will not let their children play football because of that, along with the other dangers associated with it.

But here is a question for you. Can you live life without risks? It seems to me that is not truly possible. Jesus once told his disciples, "I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly." What does it mean to live abundantly?

The word abundantly means more than adequate, plentiful and enough. That would mean that Jesus was saying that he wanted his followers to have life that is better than just normal. It is the good life, in the truest sense of the term. And I don’t think you can have abundant life if you do not take risks.

Of course, if you take risks, you will inevitably fail. But I have discovered that I usually learn more from my mistakes than I do my successes. I have learned more in losses than in victories.

I have to admit something. I don’t like losing. I don’t like failure. But the only way to avoid them is simply not to try, and I’m not willing to take that route. I want the abundant life Jesus offers, and if it involves risk, I am willing to take it. I hope you will do the same. I am convinced it will be worth it.