Decisions, Decisions...

Thursday, November 05, 2009

By Dianne Miley

I sat down to write this column with no idea what I was going to write about. So what's foremost on my mind right now came to the forefront: tough decisions. Lately, my mind is a confused tangle of what direction to go with several gargantuan decisions my husband and I need to make.

When presented with life-altering choices, how do we decide what's the right thing to do? If we have faith, our knee-jerk reaction might be to pray. Well, we've been praying for months now and still haven't seen the writing on the wall. We've made some minor decisions based on gut instinct, but the big, huge decisions about business and housing loom over our heads like dark clouds.

In the current economy, these major changes threaten a torrential downpour with plenty of thunder and lightning. Will the clouds pass by and let the sun shine through? Or, will we have to bear the potential deluge? Will a bright rainbow follow to make it all worthwhile?

Each decision presents both opportunity and risk. What's the right path to take? Most often, the greater the opportunity, the greater the risk. While we're not averse to risk, we're striving to avoid a destructive flood that could wipe us out.

Constant prayer remains our best defense. When we don't know the answers or the path to follow, we muddle along as best we can - one minor decision at a time. Each small decision is one step along that path. Eventually we'll get where we're supposed to be. Like Hansel and Gretel, we may not see the where the pebbles lead us, so we'll follow one pebble at a time. Eventually, we'll find our way home - and our Father will be there to greet us.

Along the way, we endeavor to enjoy the journey. We watch for each beam of sunshine that peeks through the clouds. We marvel at the play of shadow in the tall trees overhead and the cast of light on the path below our feet. We listen for the thunder. When lightning strikes, we seek shelter.

Waiting out the storm, we watch in awe, amazed at the force of it. Finally the lightning subsides and the downpour turns to drizzle. We leave our safe shelter to dance in the rain! Surely a rainbow will follow. We only need to keep our eyes, our minds, and our hearts open to see and appreciate it.

So here we are, watching the clouds, assessing their potential intensity. We debate where to take shelter from the next storm (quite literally as we're house hunting). Prepared to weather whatever tempest overtakes us, we anxiously await the rainbow.

There is no writing on the wall. God gives us His Word, and we must live by that. We have our faith, our conscience, and the gut instinct we've been given as a guide. We must make careful decisions, one step at a time. With God's help, we know that whatever path we take we'll find our way home.

Enjoy the journey!

Dianne Haynes Miley is the author of "Time to Enjoy Your Blessings," as well as inspirational romance novels. For more information or to sign up for her free newsletter, visit www.diannemiley.com. Dianne and her husband raised their children in Montville Township. Her son and daughter now attend college in Pennsylvania.