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Tag: risk

A Pig in a Poke

A Pig in a Poke

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A Pig in a Poke-piggy bank in a burlap bagA friend recently bought a pig in a poke. (A poke is a bag or sack.) She did not receive what she thought she purchased.

A pig in a poke means we buy something without first inspecting it.

Scammers profit when we fail to take precautions. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

A pig in a poke originated years ago.

Sellers of piglets displayed real pigs. However, they put other small animals, such as cats, in customers’ pokes. Anyone who revealed their trick let the cat out of the bag.

Let the buyer beware.

This precaution translates from the Latin phrase “caveat emptor.” We want to make wise decisions.

  • Examine the product.
  • Read reviews or talk with previous customers.
  • Buy from trusted sellers.

Online purchases increase the risk of buying a pig in a poke.

We cannot inspect the product in person. That makes reading reviews and buying from trusted sellers even more important.

From cars to cats, houses to hats, and power tools to pigs, be careful. We want to be sure we receive:

“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another” (Leviticus 19:11 NIV).

Thanks to Emily Akin and Carole Fite for the suggestion and to Debbie Tapscott for the photo.

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Stick Your Neck Out

Stick Your Neck Out

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Stick Your Neck Out--one giraffe, head high, standing in front of several zebras

It’s risky to stick your neck out. Joining the crowd — looking and acting like everyone else — is safer and easier.

If you stick your neck out, you risk getting in trouble.

You attract attention. Even if other people agree with you, they fear joining you. They don’t want to face:

  • Danger
  • Criticism
  • Anger
  • Job loss
  • Rejection

This expression’s origin remains unknown.

Possibilities include:

  • Horse racing
  • Turtles sticking their heads out of their shells
  • Barnyard animals with their necks on a chopping block
  • People on a guillotine
  • Boxers protecting their necks and heads by holding them in

In all these examples, extending the neck makes it vulnerable.

You can stick your neck out personally or professionally.

You take chances when you:

If you stick your neck out, don’t take unnecessary risks.

God commands people to stand tall and stand firm for what is right. Yet, boldness is not always wise or necessary.

  • Weigh the evidence.
  • Pray for guidance.
  • Choose carefully.

“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11 NIV).

Thanks to Terri Wilson for the suggestion. Image by Danièle Konsbruck from Pixabay.

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Down the Drain

Down the Drain

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Down the Drain--waterfall between cliff wallsWe love to watch water fall into a river. However, we rarely want to watch water go down the drain. We lose that water, and it costs us.

Down the drain means wasted.

Our resources have:

  • Failed
  • Disappeared
  • Ruined

This may apply to:

  • Companies
  • Finances
  • Relationships
  • Personal or professional plans

Sometimes, we control what goes down the drain.

We do that when we:

  • Make risky investments.
  • Spend money recklessly.
  • Fail to nurture relationships.
  • Focus only on ourselves.

Other times, we have no control.

  • Banks or companies make poor decisions.
  • Thieves rob us.
  • People desert us.

Whether we have control or not, we lose.

Similar metaphors include:

  • Down the tubes
  • Down the pan
  • Down the toilet
  • Down the plughole

Life constantly changes.

With all its ups and downs, we look for a constant. We find that in a relationship with Jesus. Whatever the situation, Jesus remains with us and will guide us through it.

Circumstances may go down the drain. With Jesus, our eternity remains secure.

Thanks to Beckham Wilson for the suggestion.

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Bell the Cat

Bell the Cat

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Bell the Cat: Cat with bell around neck“Somebody ought to do something.” We often say that about a hard job nobody wants to do. No one wants to bell the cat.

To bell the cat means to perform a difficult task.

We take responsibility and do what needs to be done. It may be risky or dangerous. At times, the job may seem or be impossible.

This expression comes from a fable.

Mice were scared of a cat and did not know what to do. They met to discuss the situation, as portrayed in this cartoon. One mouse suggested putting a bell around the cat’s neck, so they could hear the cat coming. They would be saved by the bell. However, when asked who would bell the cat, no one wanted to tackle such a dangerous job.

The fable teaches that a plan serves no purpose if it is impossible or no one does it. Many tasks are easier said than done.

We give thanks for people who bell the cat.

They see the risks but do their jobs anyway.

  • Firefighters who enter burning buildings
  • Police officers who run toward, instead of away from, danger
  • Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff who risk illness to keep us healthy
  • Utility workers who do their jobs in the worst weather to provide electricity, phones, and other services

What about us? Are we ready to do what needs to be done, including jobs no one else wants to do?

God calls each of us. Sometimes our work is easy and sometimes hard. Whatever the task, how will we respond?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8 NIV).

Thanks to Becky Nash Rowe for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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Swing for the Fences

Swing for the Fences

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Swing for the Fences--softball playing hitting a ballI always wanted to hit a ball over the fence when I played softball. I never did. No matter how hard I would swing for the fences, I could not do it.

A few of my teammates hit balls over the fence with no problem. I could run fast, but I could not hit hard. However, I never stopped trying.

To swing for the fences means to swing as hard as possible.

  • Ballplayers hope for a home run.
  • Businesses aim for great success.
  • Individuals focus on one main goal

To swing for the fences involves great risk.

  • Ball players risk missing the ball and striking out.
  • Businesses risk losing everything.
  • Individuals chance serious loss.

The win is not always worth the risk.

A careful swing that hits the ball beats a hard swing that misses. Likewise, taking time to make the best decision beats a get-rich-quick scheme that fails. Too many people go out on a limb with no easy way back.

Never risk relationships.

Swinging for the fences is not worth losing:

  • Marriage
  • Children
  • Friends
  • Reputation

Weigh the costs. Swing for the fences when it will hurt no one. Swing softly to keep relationships from getting off base.

“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good” (Galatians 4:18 NIV).

Thanks to Larry Alston for the suggestion and to Richard Robards for the photo.

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Jumping-off Place

Jumping-off Place

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Jumping-off Place --Royal Gorge BridgeOn my first trip to Cañon City, Colorado, my husband and I walked across the nearby Royal Gorge Bridge. Several people use that bridge as a jumping-off place. They bungee jump from the highest bridge in the United States.

I like adventure, but that looks crazy. I have no desire to bounce like a rubber ball between The Royal Gorge Bridge and the Arkansas River 955 feet below.

Jumping-off place (or jumping-off point) has two meanings.

  1. The beginning point
  2. A very remote place

We will explore the first meaning, the beginning point.

A jumping-off place may be the beginning of:

  • Adventure, like those crazy bungee jumpers
  • Journeys, like our trip to Colorado
  • Business plans, like starting a new company
  • Discussions, like the beginning of peace talks
  • Investigations, like exploring space

A jumping-off place is often scary.

Anything new involves risk. Therefore, we decide whether the beginning is worth the risk. I took the risk of a hot air balloon ride, an adventure on my bucket list. I have no plans to risk a bungee jump. That cord could break, and I would end up graveyard dead.

When we jump into something wrong, we usually try to change directions.

We want to correct our mistake. However, we don’t want to make a bad situation worse. That would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Instead we make a wiser choice.

God put a head on our shoulders. Let’s use it for something more than a hat rack.

“Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (Mark 10:50 NIV).

Thanks to Brenda Mullins for the suggestion.

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Play with Fire

Play with Fire

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Play with Fire--child in fireman's outfitMatthew knows he should never play with fire. He does not want to get hurt. Neither does he want to hurt others.

Instead, Matthew may become a fireman when he grows up. Rather than play with fire, he hopes to prevent and put out fires.

No one should play with fire.

It is both dangerous and foolish. Most of us would never play with a physical fire. Yet, many of us play with fire in other ways. We take risks when we:

  • Choose bad relationships
  • Cheat
  • Disobey the law
  • Practice bad health habits

When we play with fire, we get burned.

 We may:

  • Hurt or lose those we love
  • Gain a bad reputation
  • Go to jail
  • Suffer poor health

Instead, let’s prevent or put out fires when we can.

Let’s watch our steps, make good choices, and help others do the same.

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” (Proverbs 6:27 NIV)

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Photo courtesy of Tammy Seyfried.

On Thin Ice

On Thin Ice

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On Thin IceWe have to be careful during Kentucky winters. We often find ourselves on thin ice and must watch our steps.

  • Ice on creeks, ponds, and lakes is usually too thin to walk or skate.
  • Ice on the ground or sidewalks causes falls.
  • Ice on roads and parking lots lead to wrecks.

On thin ice means we are in a risky or dangerous situation.

We put ourselves in danger when we:

  • Invest money in an unknown company.
  • Choose friends we cannot trust.
  • Fail to care for our health.

Some risks are worth the danger.

  • Uncertain investments sometimes make lots of money.
  • Everyone makes mistakes and needs a second chance.
  • We risk our health to save another life (organ donation, firemen entering a burning building).

Other risks are not worth it.

Then it’s better to be safe than sorry.

We decide each day whether to step on thin ice or stay on solid ground.

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways’” (Haggai 1:7).

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Out on a Limb

Out on a Limb

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Out on a LimbHave you seen the cartoon of a man sitting out on a limb? He’s sawing off the limb between himself and the tree. We laugh because we know that when the limb falls, so will he. Yet, he remains unaware.

The bear cub in this photo may not be out on a limb yet. However, we know if he tries to crawl out any of those tiny limbs, he too will fall.

We often fail to see the dangers around us.

Like the man and the bear cub, we cause many of those dangers ourselves.

  • Marriages fall apart because of harmless flirting.
  • Addictions result from trying just one drink or drug.
  • Bankruptcies occur when we can no longer pay all those little charges.

If we never take that first dangerous step, we don’t have to worry about falling.

Let’s take preventive steps instead.

  • Weigh the good and bad.
  • Make well-informed decisions.
  • Set reasonable limits in every part of our lives.

Let’s not put ourselves at risk. Let’s choose not to go out on a limb.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40 NIV).

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