I’ve had a lot on my mind recently! I’ve thought about things from every possible angle and I’m pretty sure I’ve even invented some new angles. That’s kinda what I do – tend to over analyze things and take time to make a choice. For a the longest time I didn’t really think through decisions, but after years of running straight into the ocean without looking, I realized that I don’t always know what I’m running into. As a result of that running first, I’ve gotten burned more than once or twice. I now think a little more. Ironically, I still tend to go “with my guy” but with the extra time it generally works out a little better.
It may sound trivial but this happened when I tried to pick out a new cologne (by the way isn’t it funny that we use scented soap, deodorant/anti-persperant and still have the need to cover ourselves in some other scent?). I went to a store and smelled around for a bit and liked one or two. The saleslady then informed me that I could buy a 10 unit kit that would let me try different scents throughout the next week and a half and after I would receive a free bottle of my favorite – Perfect! So, I went home and I wore each one, testing and writing down my thoughts about each one (I never liked Science, but I felt like a scientist doing an experiment). At the end of the 2 weeks, I had narrowed it down to two fragrances. I went back to the store, I stood there for like 15 minutes trying to make my decision. Eventually, another salesperson came up and talked with me and eventually I chose fragrance #1. The funny thing – it was the very scent I initially liked 2 weeks prior!
I know it’s funny, but my little story confirms a couple things in my life. One, my gut, or my initial thought process is pretty solid. I need to trust it a whole lot more than I do. Two, I still needed the time to make my decision – I needed to trust my gut, but I also needed the time to really evaluate what I liked and didn’t like. That may sound like I overcomplicated the decision, but by making the choice to wait I actually saved money and got to experience other things.
The Third piece I learned is the most important – sometimes I need that little extra help to push me over the edge. The words of the salesperson, in both meetings, were really helpful. On my final encounter, it was their voice that helped me to narrow down and go with my gut. I walked out of the store like I had won the lottery or defeated some foul smelling dragon (which maybe in a way I did).
I’ve been a follower of Jesus for a long time and there have been times in my life when I felt like God was standing side by side with me helping me make the best decision. There have also been times when, I sure wish He’d speak up a bit more. And sometimes, I think in my haste to hear Him, I end up drowning in my worry about not hearing him. And that just leads me to over-analyzing like a crazy person.
At these moments, I’m reminded of Elijah – the dude who took on 450 prophets for the god Baal. He’s all alone and he’s been irritating the powers that be for some time – in fact they kinda want him dead! He defeats the prophets in a triumphant God-showing and then runs away. The queen vows to kill Elijah for what God just did and Elijah splits! He’s got so much going on in his head that he couldn’t hear or see God’s provision if he wanted to. So God shows up, not in the noise (Fire, earthquake, storm) but in the whisper, in the stillness, in the quiet. It was then that Elijah could reorient his decision making process and choose what was next. In Elijah’s experience, God told him to get moving, but before He did, Elijah needed to chill out and listen.
Honestly, it’d be great if God showed up every time and whispered in my ear “go left” or “go right,” but He doesn’t always work that way. He did for Elijah but that was after Elijah was confronted with the much needed quietness of God. In my huge decisions and challenges that I’m facing, my hope is that by remembering Elijah, I won’t run off to a cave to pout, but I’ll try to drown out the noise and really listen.
With my cologne, once I could stop the madness and really process, I made a decision that I not only could “live with” but I felt confident in. Maybe for this decision that is in front of me what I really need to do is realize that He’s here with me, seek wise counsel (from above and beside), drown out all the NOISE, breathe and step forward. Who knows, I may make the wrong decision, but I’m going to be confident in one thing – I’m not going to stand in front of this fragrance wall forever.