Finding our way...

How does a person find their way in life? Decisions have to be made daily. Some are seemingly insignificant, & others carry more weight. Curves come our way when we least expect them. Some of these curves we may have invited into our lives without even knowing it. Sometimes we see them coming, but we cannot prevent them. Other times, we reap what we sow.

How do we make decisions when we don't have a crystal ball, & we don't know what to do? Being in limbo is painful. It is confusing & frustrating. It clouds our eyes & makes our decisions even harder to make. Sometimes, we just have to do the best we can for today. We can seek the council of people we respect. We can pray unceasingly, hoping for an answer. We can sit down & write a list, weighing out the pros & cons. Scripture is available, but sometime it's hard to find the passage that applies to our problem. We can look at the fork in the road, & try to get a sense of where each path would lead. We can pray for a sign, & sometimes God sends us a sign we can't ignore. We can try to separate our emotions from the issue, but let's face it, that is difficult at best.

I have had to make some decisions in my life that were painful. My first step is always asking God to guide my heart. My next step is to avoid making the decision if possible until I reach that sense of peace & conviction. I do seek the council of respected friends, loved ones, & experts. That can be confusing too (especially when they don't agree on the solution).

I have made some of the toughest decisions in my life in the last three years. I have not regretted the choices I have made, because somehow I found the peace needed to make those decisions. I have noticed a pattern in my life. In the midst of extreme chaos, confusion, & despair, God has spoken to me through His still small voice. Somewhere in the midst of sheer agony, I heard His quiet voice unmistakably guiding me. His voice wasn't audible, but it was distinct. It came with words that aren't words I would normally use. Most importantly, it came with an awesome sense of peace.

As I look back on those decisions, I realize that God was with me. How do I know this? Only by His peace. Sometimes, my decisions took their toll on people I loved or involved their well being. I've never had a crystal ball, & truth be told, I am the better for it. I've had to make my decisions solely based on the peace that comes only from God. In following Him, I have learned to rely on Him & to recognize His voice.