By Gina Caswell Kelly
I have been having a conversation with a young man, let’s call him Bob. I have known Bob for many years. He was/is a very talented guy. Bob was a great athlete in high school and had a great potential. But some bad decisions rocked his world and now he is being faced with a different life than he had planned. Like I wrote last week, things don’t always go according to our plans.
We make so many choices daily. Most of them are reasonably insignificant. But some have the potential to change the entire course of our lives. Or someone else’s life. We have to be so very careful that we are listening to the Holy Spirit in our lives as we go about our day. Golly, if we could see the roadmap and all the overpasses and turns and curvy roads ahead of us, we would clearly trust the Master with our lives. But He does see what is up ahead. He knows where our road is going. It just makes no sense not to give Him the controls of our lives.
Just like this young man. Let’s look at the road map that got him in my life. I graduate from high school in 1974. Bob was not even close to being a thought in anyone’s mind! I chose to go to work instead of college. I met Mike Kelly. Married him and raised kids, and in the meantime went to Tech. Fast forward. Mike’s life on earth ends. My life continues. I marry another man. This man had grandchildren who were in school with Bob. I start doing some substitute teaching. I get better acquainted with Bob. I invite Bob and others to church. Bob comes. Eventually he chooses to give his life to Christ. Life goes on and bad choices are made. So here we are nearly 15 years from the day I met him and he is still in touch and looking for guidance. The roadmap to my relationship with this kiddo can be traced all the way back to 1974! Choices matter! You may be thinking that is quite a stretch to say that God had it mapped from 1974, but He did. I could have gone to college then. Road changes. I could have left town after Mike died. Road changes. I could have made a plethora of other choices that would have taken me down a different path. See? Everything in my life led to working to make a difference in this kiddo’s life.
Again, God has it all mapped out, but we have to be listening to Him and open to where He is guiding us. It is not always the easiest thing to know what God wants for our lives. But, I can tell you this, it is a whole lot easier to know what to do when you are spending intentional time reading His Word, talking with Him, spending time with His people and LISTENING for Him and to Him. A post card is just not going to come in the mail that says “Here is what I want you to do. Love, God.” It would surely be nice if it worked that way. But we have to have that relationship built with Him to be ready to hear from Him.
Don’t ever think for a second that the choices you make in life only matter to you. You don’t have a clue but that nearly 50 years down the road, a choice you made could still be making a difference.
Choose wisely. It makes a difference!
