Have you ever found yourself reflecting on the path that your life has taken and wondering how different things might have been if you had gone right instead of left, stopped rather than kept going, spoken and not kept quiet? Yesterday I found myself in a situation with an hour or so to wait for some family members to join me for an appointment. As I looked around I saw people going about doing their jobs, one for which I had studied very hard for a number of years. I had decided to change course after a couple of years and ended up with a totally different career. I reviewed the outcome of my decision to change direction and wondered how different my life would have been if I had stuck to my first choice. "Hmmm", as a good friend always says spelling it out!
When I was eventually joined by my party, a younger sibling also had occasion to reflect on her life choices and voiced her questions about how different the day would have been if she had made different decisions also. "Ditto" I thought. But there is no way for us to know whether our positions would have been any better than they are presently. We know for sure things would have been different but the question becomes different good or different bad; there's no way of knowing and perhaps that's as it should be. It would be impossible to live with complete knowledge of every possible outcome for simple minds such as ours!
Then I got to thinking; Isn't God just awesome! He knows every possible outcome. He also knows exactly which road we will choose and how our lives will be lived out in the final analysis! He knows what is good for us and better still, exactly what is best for us. He knows when we have made a wrong turn, a wrong choice because we fail to consult Him or listen to Him. Yet He never leaves us nor forsake us! He is with us to the uttermost; even if we "make our bed in hell",He is there with us.
So why do we not realoze and accept that God Knows All things, sees everything from the beginning to the end, wants to guide us in the Way, the Truth and the Life, Has a love so deep and wide that He gave His Son to die for our restoration to an intimate, Father-walk with Him through every situation, every step of life's journey? Why do we make decisions without consulting Him, why do we ask but not listen and obey our Father's direction?
Isaiah 30:21 is a reminder by the prophet that the Lord is with us, not just as a passive Bystander allowing us to make poor choices but He is actively encouraging us to become all that He has planned for us; planned and destined before we were born. The text advises us: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left". This is a promise from our Divine Creator, Our Father God!
Over the years I have accepted that I mess up all the time, making decisions and choices for the wrong reasons. Or,for the right reasons at the wrong time and a million variations that all come down to one thing; they are MY decisions to have My own way - Zaidie-centred thinking for Zaidie-centred benefits that leads to Zaidie-centred problems! I am thankful that God is patient, long-suffereing, merciful and kind to His wayward daughter. I am thankful that I have learnt to trust Him more and more. I am thankful that I have leant to rest upon His promises because of His grace in giving me greater undertanding and divine wisdom.
I am not sorry about the road I have chosen to travel in my life. I do not regret the decisions I have made at my various crossroads because I Know that my Lord walks with me today and He will be with me to the very end of time! I know that every experience is a lesson to be learnt, a message to be shared, a testimony to be published abroad by words, deeds and thoughts. I know that Romans 8:28 is the whole truth and nothing but the truth: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose".
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is indeed out of sight;it's difficult to know what will be the consequences of today's choices on tomorrow's outcomes but we know Someone who does! That Someone is Jesus! Let's depend on Him to guide our decisons as well as our footsteps because He cares for us. He not only knows what's best,He desires only the best;His best for us. Love & Blessings. LadyZaidie
