My son, let them not depart from your sight;

Keep sound wisdom and discretion,

So they will be life to your soul,

And adornment to your neck.

Then you will walk in your way securely,

And your foot will not stumble.

Proverbs 3:21-23 (New American Standard Bible)

 

Therefore be careful how you walk, not

As unwise men, but as wise,

Ephesians 5:15 (New American Standard Bible)

 

When Opposition Makes a Change of Plans Difficult

            Why is it so difficult to make a change? Contemplating doing something differently can feel threatening and sometimes it’s just not convenient.

            Though the relationship was fragile, we’d decided to attend an event the next night. Immersing myself in a movie helped to forget the concerns that something felt amiss about our plans for the following night. About half way into the story, I sensed a calling to stop and pray. Though the admonition prevailed, I decided to wait until the end of the movie to pray. About thirty minutes before the story concluded, the phone rang. It was my friend saying he had not been able to get tickets and was calling off the date. Phrases such as you’re lying followed. It wasn’t pretty and within twenty-four hours the already frayed relationship was destroyed.

            Would things have worked out differently had I stopped and prayed? It was always my belief that God probably wanted me to pray that this person would be strong enough to do the right thing. It wasn’t until I started this blog that it occurred to me that possibly he had been telling the truth and God wanted me to pray that I would respond correctly. I’ll never know because I didn’t have as much time as I thought to stop and pray.

            Thought:  It’s so easy to say, I will ____________tomorrow, but as above proves, we don’t always have tomorrow.

Decisions that involve a change in the middle of the journey can also be extremely difficult for other reasons. Believing it was the only thing on the market I could afford, I set forth to buy a condominium. In the days that followed, my cousin who knew much more about real estate than I unexpectedly called. He’d heard about the impending purchase and begged me not to buy the place, but I stood my ground. At least talk to my lawyer, he implored. After agreeing to this meeting, I told my realtor who immediately let me know her displeasure and said, “What can that lawyer tell you that I can’t?” Wanting to keep the peace, I backed off and didn’t keep the appointment.

            Though the complex supposedly had a new roof, I experienced thirteen roof leaks that first year, some dripping, some pouring through the ceiling.  Dealing with these leaks we couldn’t seem to stop, was bewildering and I didn’t know what to do. At this point, though, many things came to mind that the lawyer could have told me. As bad as it was to deal with the incessant leaks, it got worse. One night something awakened me. It took just a minute to realize that water was coming through the ceiling onto the bed and onto me. Getting through this leaking-roof ordeal was a reminder of what can happen when we refuse to act on our own behalf, or we just do what is necessary to keep the peace.

            Interested in the incredible decision Simone Biles made to not participate in most of the Olympic events, I studied the facts of what could have happened to her had she continued.  From what I learned it came down to either pleasing the fans or looking out for her own safety. What would have been the cost had she chosen to please others and in the process destroyed her body?  

            In the middle of the night when the water pours through the ceiling, is the one who cowed you there to stop the water? If your body doesn’t work as it should and the pain is unbearable because you ignored your safety, are those who tried to push you into a certain action there and able to stop the pain? The answer to both questions is no. At the end of the day, no matter how we arrived there, we and we alone must live with the consequences of our decisions.

            We can wait to change until tomorrow, but tomorrow may never come. Perhaps it’s just easier to keep the peace, make others happy. But what price do we pay at the pleasure of others?

            Simone Biles taught the world a lesson this week. No one nor any circumstance should keep us from doing what’s best for us and sometimes that may mean making others unhappy and even changing the course of our future. Those decisions take strength and guts.

            One last thought. When God in some way directs a change, you can bet, it may feel uncomfortable at the moment, but He has a better way and He is still in charge, and that, my dear friends, always leads us to a better path.