Jim Carrey’s dad taught him that you can fail even at the things you think are safe. His dad didn’t think comedy could really be a job, so he chose something stable in his eyes, an accounting gig. It wasn’t his dream, but it felt secure. But when Jim was twelve, his dad lost that “safe” job, and suddenly, their family was struggling to get by. Wake-up call: The path that seems the safest can still crumble beneath you. It made Jim realize that failure is possible no matter what. You can fail at something you don’t even love. So why not go toward the things that God placed on our hearts?

We think if we lower our expectations, play it safe, keep our hearts wrapped up tight, we’ll avoid the hurt. But disappointment has a way of finding us, even when we try to hide from it. And it’s not just about dreams or careers. It’s clear in relationships too. So many people stay in relationships they don’t even feel connected to, just because it seems easier (or safer). But even in that, you can still end up disappointed, and honestly, that’s probably worse. You didn’t even want to be in this relationship in the first place, and maybe something unspeakable happens.

This is where we can take a lesson from the Darwin’s bark spider (Yes, I wrote about a spider😌!). To build its web, the spider casts a line of silk across rivers, trusting the wind to carry it to a strong anchor point. It can’t control where the thread lands, but it just keeps trying, releasing one line after another. And even when that thread breaks (like when another spider breaks the line), the spider doesn’t give up. It reels in the broken line, recycles the silk, and tries again. If it stops trying, it could literally starve. Its survival depends on pushing past failure.

And it’s the same with us. When hope is deferred, Proverbs 13:12 tells us it makes the heart sick. We starve our hearts. We’re not meant to stay in a state of deferred hope, where the disappointment piles up and slowly chokes out our desire to try again. Like the spider, we keep casting our lines, because our own sense of fulfillment—our heart's health—depends on it. It's a form of spiritual starvation.

But there’s another side to this. When do you stop casting your line in the same place and find new ground? Because true resilience isn’t about reckless persistence. It’s about knowing when to try again and when to shift. Yes, the deeper pain comes when you risk your heart for what you really want, and it doesn’t work out. When you’ve put yourself out there, shared your dreams, or opened your heart to a tough conversation—and you still get burned, or worse, you get nothing… it hurts! That kind of pain can make you swear off trying, convincing yourself it’s not even worth the risk.

But it is worth it, and we have the chance to take those broken threads, gather them up and spin something new. The biggest loss isn’t the sting of disappointment; it’s never trying again. It’s letting fear keep you on the sidelines when you were meant to be in the game. Nature doesn’t quit after a setback. So why should we?

So just so we're clear: there’s wisdom in discerning when to persist and when to pivot. It’s not about walking back into situations or relationships that have shown a clear pattern of being unsafe or harmful. That’s not resilience—that’s delusion. Even the spider would abandon a spot if it was laced with predators. Don’t let stubbornness keep you stuck, thinking you’re being brave when you’re really just treading water.

So, how do we know when to try again or when to shift? It’s about listening to God’s guidance. Sometimes we're called to persevere, to keep casting our lines despite the handful of setbacks. Other times, we’re guided to find new ground where we can grow and thrive. The denominator is we're never called to give up entirely. Our challenge is to stay open, to remain willing to risk where He calls us to, and trust that if we keep casting our lines with intention, it will eventually catch onto something solid. Because paying it safe won’t guarantee a pain-free ride. Somewhere in that risk, in those uncertain waters, life is waiting and reminding us that trying again isn’t just a choice; it’s in our nature.

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Self-Reflection Prompts

1. ^{What’s a dream or desire you’ve put on the back burner because it felt too risky? Is it still tugging at your heart?}
2. ^{Where in your life have you been afraid to cast another line, fearing that it might break again?}
3. ^{What would it look like to take your past disappointments and spin them into new possibilities?}
4. ^{When have you chosen the “safe” option only to find yourself disappointed anyway?}
5. ^{How can you practice trusting the process, even when you don’t know where the thread will land?}

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