What to do?

Good Morning All,

Life is filled with all sorts of sayings; tried and true maxims, some biblically based while others come from one of the other major world religions or simply out of the mouths of children and older folks. They offer us, wisdom for the ages; advice and encouragement for the human condition. In my readings I came across one familiar to many, “When God shuts a door, God opens a window”—or appropriately paraphrased, “God never slams a door in your face without opening a box of Girl Scout cookies!” J (Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love) This one comes to mind when we are in the throes of important decision-making or perhaps you have been thrust into this arena through no fault of your own.

Some decisions we are asked to make are vital to our health and well-being, especially when facing a diagnosis of a life-threatening illness or condition, our own or that of one whom we love and cherish. Some decisions have to do with relationships that are in trouble, or at the least on rocky ground—with a spouse or a teenager or grown child; or maybe a best friend… What to do, what to do?

There also comes a time in life when decisions must be made concerning aging parents who can no longer care for themselves as they once did; living independent and productive lives… What to do, what to do?

Some folks know all too well what it means to face decisions concerning the workplace—having to let an employee go or to be that employee on the verge of being fired or let go because of “down-sizing” or bankruptcy or simply because you are no longer challenged or you have an opportunity for advancement somewhere else; or retirement is on the horizon… What to do, what to do?

It’s important to remember that God doesn’t really shut doors and open windows, causing us to face the important decisions of our lives. Decisions come our way, sometimes when we least expect it; sometimes because of prior poor decisions we have chosen. Yet God is there walking through it all with us; never leaving us fully to our own devices. God expects us to learn from our life experiences and to grow from them…sure most times we have to wrestle with the alligators of life, but God gives us the strength and courage and yes, wisdom to do so.

When facing vital decisions for our lives, we tend to put our prayer life into full throttle…going to God in prayer, looking for that window that is supposed to be opening sometime soon after the shutting of a door. We seek God’s guidance as the consummate embodiment of Wisdom to help us make the best decisions based on the information at hand.

God promises to be our partner through all of life, ready, willing and most of all able, to stand with us through thick and thin; sharing the desires of God’s own heart as God listens to our pain, our suffering, our dilemmas, our fears and uncertainties; as well as our desires. And the Good News is, God makes good on all these promises. Hopefully as you travel your faith journey and the bends in the road up ahead call forth your best decision-making skills, you will ultimately be at peace with God and thereby the outcome…

Hmmmm…I hear a box of Thin Mints calling…or is it Tagalongs? What to do, what to do? Blessings, Joanne