Decisions, Decisions

I am someone who struggles to make decisions, as I'm sure we all do at one time or another. Sometimes, even the basic ones cause me grief. To those who think that "it doesn't matter what you eat for breakfast," I might beg to differ. It would, for example, matter to me greatly if I were to do something stupid like, oh, say, ingest a gallon of lead paint to start off the day. (Kids: please don't try this at home.)

At any rate, my good stake president, Pres. Ralph Mabey, addressed this very subject of making decisions at the past week's stake conference. And I think it was the very thing I, and a lot of people in my age group, needed to hear. He gave me a lot to think about, and now I present what I learned from his message and/or my thoughts:

1) Making choices is a big part of what we're here for. A war in heaven was fought over the basic idea of having free agency.

2) Sometimes, our choices are not between what is right and what is wrong; they're between a path that is right and another that is also right. The thing is, it's our choice - that free agency thing. If we are seeking guidance and are onto a path that could be dangerous, then the Spirit will intervene and warn us accordingly.

3) "It's harder for the Lord to direct our steps if we're not taking any." -Elder D. Todd Christofferson

4) If we put off or avoid making decisions when opportunities present themselves, either (a) those opportunities can be lost or (b) the decisions will be made for us by a failure to act.

The third point, for one, makes me think of "The Simpsons" episode in which Homer is forced to go back to college to study basic nuclear physics. When he is reminded that he has put off studying for the big final exam, which is the next day, he announces his strategy: "I've been working on a plan. During the exam, I'll hide under some coats, and hope that somehow everything will work out."

I know some people who would never take this cowardly approach in the classroom but who often "hide under coats" in social, spiritual, or other situations. Truth be told, I've probably done more than my share of hiding under coats at decision-making times. And I've found that it leads only to regret and failure.


Conversely, there are good people, like Rebekah of the Book of Genesis, who were wise enough to see important opportunities when they came up and who took advantage of them. When Isaac's servant visited her, she wasn't too busy or too caught up in other, less-important things to water his camels, and if she had protested that she wasn't "looking for a relationship right now," as some people are wont to say, she would have forfeited the opportunity to become a mother to the nation of Israel.

Okay, so that's an extreme example - but I believe it teaches the principle well, and she is an example nonetheless. Rebekah's courage and dedication to service are why hers is among my favorite scripture stories.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat a bowl of Captain Crunch. Or Honey Nut Cheerios. Or pancakes.