As a teenager and young adult, claustrophobia is a common ailment. To just get out from under the thumb of parents and teachers, come and go as you please and just LIVE - that is the cry of all-too-soon-to-be adults. And then, before you know it, you've found yourself on the brink of things larger than you and you hold the power switch. You can stay or go, say yes or no, buy or save - the decisions are piling up. And then it hits you. THIS is the reason everyone says don't grow up too fast and enjoy the freedom while it lasts.
I have several people on my mind this morning that are in the throws of making tough decisions. Financial choices, relationship choices, faith choices - they are all there. And in the end, loving and trusting them as I do, I expect they will make good - dare I say right? - decisions. But that doesn't make them any less tough. Do I take a job in another state? Do I risk rejection by applying for a new job? Should I sell my house? Should I buy a house? Is God really worth sacrificing anything for? What about all the dreams and plans I had? We all start things with expectations, hopes, big plans. And then the doing of it takes over, which brings choices and compromises and ultimately disappointments. It's just tough that we can't have it all. I'm not saying choosing one over the other isn't worth it, but I know as much as anybody how it feels to want it all - so badly.
About the time Randy and I got engaged, he was looking for a job. He was going to be graduating soon and then getting married in the fall, so we were having to make some serious life decisions with very little practical experience under our belt. He was offered jobs in San Antonio, TX, Kansas City, MO, Tulsa, OK and OKC. In retrospect, we both feel like he should've taken the one in San Antonio or KC but we (I) was afraid to move out of Oklahoma. But, he learned a lot about what he wanted in a job by staying too long at one he hated and then learned how unfulfilling the oil field was for him. And then, after getting laid off, we learned a host of other things. All in all, it brought us here - a great job, a great situation for having Jude and lots of lessons learned.
I think it is really easy to criticize others for the choices they make. "If it were me, I would..." But it's not me and if it really were, I'd be less quick to open my mouth so wide. I guess my point today is to encourage myself and everyone else to honor others because of the tough choices we make every day. Adulthood isn't easy and everybody deserves a pat on the back sometimes for making the tough decisions.
I have several people on my mind this morning that are in the throws of making tough decisions. Financial choices, relationship choices, faith choices - they are all there. And in the end, loving and trusting them as I do, I expect they will make good - dare I say right? - decisions. But that doesn't make them any less tough. Do I take a job in another state? Do I risk rejection by applying for a new job? Should I sell my house? Should I buy a house? Is God really worth sacrificing anything for? What about all the dreams and plans I had? We all start things with expectations, hopes, big plans. And then the doing of it takes over, which brings choices and compromises and ultimately disappointments. It's just tough that we can't have it all. I'm not saying choosing one over the other isn't worth it, but I know as much as anybody how it feels to want it all - so badly.
About the time Randy and I got engaged, he was looking for a job. He was going to be graduating soon and then getting married in the fall, so we were having to make some serious life decisions with very little practical experience under our belt. He was offered jobs in San Antonio, TX, Kansas City, MO, Tulsa, OK and OKC. In retrospect, we both feel like he should've taken the one in San Antonio or KC but we (I) was afraid to move out of Oklahoma. But, he learned a lot about what he wanted in a job by staying too long at one he hated and then learned how unfulfilling the oil field was for him. And then, after getting laid off, we learned a host of other things. All in all, it brought us here - a great job, a great situation for having Jude and lots of lessons learned.
I think it is really easy to criticize others for the choices they make. "If it were me, I would..." But it's not me and if it really were, I'd be less quick to open my mouth so wide. I guess my point today is to encourage myself and everyone else to honor others because of the tough choices we make every day. Adulthood isn't easy and everybody deserves a pat on the back sometimes for making the tough decisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment