Tuesday I spent part of the day with wires hooked up to my chest, sweating on a treadmill. I was getting the stress echo done which had been aborted 2 weeks ago when they found a small pericardial effusion.
Thankfully, things went well this time. My exercise tolerance was better than expected and there were no significant arrhythmias. Most importantly, the echo came back normal. Even the pericardial effusion was no longer visible. I am cleared to exercise without restrictions.
What I do with this good news is up to me. I can choose to continue my sedentary ways of the last few months, potentially setting myself up for future health problems down the road, or I can get off my butt and hit the road, paving the way for a healthier tomorrow. The choice is up to me.
Life is all about choices. To stay or to go. To follow the crowd or take a stand. To meekly submit or resist with every fiber of our being. To stay in bed or go to church. To drink or not to drink. The list goes on and on.
Some choices are seemingly small, like choosing between chocolate cake or an apple for dessert. However, even these small choices can have long term consequences, setting up patterns of behavior resulting in long-term success or failure.
And our choices do not just affect us. None of us live in a vacuum. The choices we make, even the small ones, can affect others for years to come in profound ways we may never fully realize. Remember Eve in the Garden? Even thousands of years later we’re still dealing with the consequences of that choice.
You may say, “Well, it’s my life isn’t it? I should be able to choose whatever I want!” True, but do so with the knowledge even your small choices can have big consequences for those around you.
This Sabbath morning, as you face another day of choices, remember the promise of James 1:5 that, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
Claim this promise for yourself and then go boldly forward into your day, trusting whatever choices you may face, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it…’ ” (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)
God bless, have a great day, and, whatever else you do, make sure to make the most important choice of all – Choose God!