Do you remember MacGyver? He always seemed to know “what if?” I remember watching and just being amazed. Now, when I pop the hood of my car, I am just envious. If I put a chocolate bar against the hole in the pipe, will it bond with the fumes to form an epoxy? Or maybe, if I use the foil wrapper off my gum, I can make a bomb and just blow it up?
For such a small word, “if” carries a lot of power. If comes with a promise. My mom might say, “If you do that, then you will be sorry.” If you stick your finger in the socket, then you will get shocked. If you eat all your dinner (or at least hide it where your mom will not find it), then you will get dessert. If defines the expectations to get the reward or consequence.
“If” can be pretty intimidating as well. “If” requires something of us. “If” demands a choice, how bad do we want it. Are we willing to do what is required? Is the reward enticing enough? Are the consequences severe enough? Can we define what will happen, if? If it is a true statement, then we can. All that is left then, is a choice.