Choices. We face them everyday. I have always maintained that more than three are a detriment to any decision making power I may possess. What is it that causes one type of person to delight in the realm of possibilities? And another to shudder at the prospect of reaching any conclusion, be it right or wrong?
Maybe this stems back to my childhood and having to choose between flavors of ice cream. Or perhaps, as my parents would recall, one of many nightmare visits to the children’s shoe department where I couldn’t decide “which” pair of shoes best suit my fancy. As I grew older, my spirit of indecision did not depart. What outfit to wear? Which record to buy? Who to invite? What was routine for most people was frustration to me.
Even at my present stage of life, I struggle with choices. Forced to square off, face to face, with a pound of ground beef - I ponder my alternatives of what to do with it for supper. If that decision is too much for me - there is always dining out, but then I’m faced with two pages of menu options and another dilemma.
Buying gifts isn't an easy task either. Gift registries were made for people like me, but of course deciding on one of the seventy-five possible choices can be a challenge. The element of surprise may be drastically reduced, but knowing you’ve picked a winner has its satisfaction.
One day last year, I walked into a paint store to look at wallpaper borders and I nearly had a panic attack when confronted with the multitude of samples. A task most women would find a delight made my stomach hurt. How in the world could anyone narrow down such a selection? At the end of the third aisle, I happened onto my salvation - the bargain bin with several attractive designs. Once I found a few I liked, it was just a matter of locating enough of one pattern to wrap around my room.
People who are decision-challenged find comfort in the mundane. We can wear the same winter coat for years or the same hairstyle for a decade; we let other people choose restaurants, videos and meeting times. Although our strength does not lie in our willingness to make decisions, often those we make, are good ones (probably because of how much we have agonized over them!) Relieved that a resolution has been made – regret over what might have been is usually not an issue.
But in the true spirit of this column – what does “choice” have to do the Christian life? Either you choose to make a decision to believe and trust in Jesus Christ… or you don’t, right? That’s true – but that sticky wicket called “free will” continues to invade most of our waking moments. We must still make choices of the legal, moral and ethical natures. Whether or not to drive within the speed limit - to take care of our physical bodies - to repeat gossip - to view that which we really should not. The list goes on, to include how we spend our money… or our time.
Every day is a new set of choices – when to get up, where to go, what to do – who to serve. That is the real decision; the daily determination as to whether we are going to seek to exalt ourselves… or the God who gave us the ability to decide. “Choose this day (and everyday) whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Be careful to choose wisely.
2008 - I'm still decision challenged... but those who love me allow for my shortcomings! And the secret isn't in trying to always make the right choices... it's in sticking with those who make great ones!
Maybe this stems back to my childhood and having to choose between flavors of ice cream. Or perhaps, as my parents would recall, one of many nightmare visits to the children’s shoe department where I couldn’t decide “which” pair of shoes best suit my fancy. As I grew older, my spirit of indecision did not depart. What outfit to wear? Which record to buy? Who to invite? What was routine for most people was frustration to me.
Even at my present stage of life, I struggle with choices. Forced to square off, face to face, with a pound of ground beef - I ponder my alternatives of what to do with it for supper. If that decision is too much for me - there is always dining out, but then I’m faced with two pages of menu options and another dilemma.
Buying gifts isn't an easy task either. Gift registries were made for people like me, but of course deciding on one of the seventy-five possible choices can be a challenge. The element of surprise may be drastically reduced, but knowing you’ve picked a winner has its satisfaction.
One day last year, I walked into a paint store to look at wallpaper borders and I nearly had a panic attack when confronted with the multitude of samples. A task most women would find a delight made my stomach hurt. How in the world could anyone narrow down such a selection? At the end of the third aisle, I happened onto my salvation - the bargain bin with several attractive designs. Once I found a few I liked, it was just a matter of locating enough of one pattern to wrap around my room.
People who are decision-challenged find comfort in the mundane. We can wear the same winter coat for years or the same hairstyle for a decade; we let other people choose restaurants, videos and meeting times. Although our strength does not lie in our willingness to make decisions, often those we make, are good ones (probably because of how much we have agonized over them!) Relieved that a resolution has been made – regret over what might have been is usually not an issue.
But in the true spirit of this column – what does “choice” have to do the Christian life? Either you choose to make a decision to believe and trust in Jesus Christ… or you don’t, right? That’s true – but that sticky wicket called “free will” continues to invade most of our waking moments. We must still make choices of the legal, moral and ethical natures. Whether or not to drive within the speed limit - to take care of our physical bodies - to repeat gossip - to view that which we really should not. The list goes on, to include how we spend our money… or our time.
Every day is a new set of choices – when to get up, where to go, what to do – who to serve. That is the real decision; the daily determination as to whether we are going to seek to exalt ourselves… or the God who gave us the ability to decide. “Choose this day (and everyday) whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Be careful to choose wisely.
2008 - I'm still decision challenged... but those who love me allow for my shortcomings! And the secret isn't in trying to always make the right choices... it's in sticking with those who make great ones!
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