Monday, June 15, 2015

Crossroads






I stand at the crossroads looking this way and that, trying to decide where to go from here.

In each direction stand unknown possibilities, opportunities, obstacles and roadblocks and I don’t know how to gauge their enormity or significance.

Have you ever been there?

Because I’ve given my life to God and I trust Him to direct my path, I believe what I decide is not as important as how I decide. And yet…

All around I see people who suffer the consequences of poor decisions. I wonder what will happen if I choose poorly? What if I miss the chance to experience God’s best by letting misplaced motives convince me to settle for something less? Not intentionally, of course. Which of us would intentionally choose less than God’s best?

So I listen for His still small voice.

I don’t think He’s spoken yet.

But what if expedience, worldly wisdom or my own impatience are screaming louder? What if my fear of misstep is drowning out His voice? What if I’m waiting too long at this crossroads?


What if it's too late to decide my own path?

What lessons have you learned at your crossroad experiences? Will you share them with me?




Jayne E. Self is a mystery author and past director of Write Canada.
You can visit her at jayneself.com  where faith & mystery converge


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10 comments:

  1. Ruth L. SnyderJune 16, 2015 at 11:05 AM

    Jayne,
    Praying that God will clearly direct your steps. The hardest thing in the world is waiting, especially when we don't know what's ahead. I've found the best combination in times like these is prayer, surrounding yourself with wise Christian friends, listening and paying attention to what's going on around you, and then making the best choice you can based on what you hear.

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    1. J.E. SelfJune 17, 2015 at 6:14 AM

      Thanks for your wise thoughts, Ruth. These are things I have done in the past--its good to hear you affirm them.

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  2. Linda HallJune 16, 2015 at 11:41 AM

    And remember that old adage - 'you can't steer a parked car.' Get going in the direction most appealing at the moment, and if it's not the right way, you'll soon realize it. Praying for you!

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    1. J.E. SelfJune 17, 2015 at 6:16 AM

      Get in gear--good advice. At the moment tho I feel more like Elijah under the broom tree, needing to rest and eat (well, maybe not eat so much!) before I set out from here.

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  3. Wendy L. MacdonaldJune 16, 2015 at 7:23 PM

    Jayne, thank you for bringing up this subject today. I'm at a crossroad that may lead to an even bigger crossroad. And I'm treating it like I have the last few times when I've been in this place. I'm praying. I'm journaling. I'm asking God to open and close doors according to His will. And then I'll walk toward the door that makes my heart beat faster, my spirit light up, because I've found from past experience those are the roads He wants me to go down. Safe roads don't build our faith, trust, and reliance on God. As C.S. Lewis once wrote: He's not a tame Lion.
    Blessings ~ Wendy ❀

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    1. J.E. SelfJune 17, 2015 at 6:17 AM

      If you have more than one door opening, Wendy, how do you choose?

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  4. Ian AJune 16, 2015 at 9:45 PM

    Great post, Jayne. I think most of us can relate to the crossroads. I was recently reminded of the point that the Israelites elected to spend time in the wilderness longer than needed to. It was a wakeup call for I've found I have a tendency to do that myself. The wilderness or the crossroads can be surprisingly safe. Even when the manna isn't all that interesting. I'm sure I've missed opportunities simply because the uncertainty of eating something different was too confronting for whatever reason.

    So I've chosen to take a step as when we step He steps with us. As with Linda's delightful analogy of the parked car, God moves when we do. Perhaps chatting with one or two confidantes may provide some insight into the first step.

    Praying the Lord awakens the simmering desire in your heart. I hope we get to read in a future post the step you took no matter how he turned out.

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    1. J.E. SelfJune 17, 2015 at 6:20 AM

      Thank you, Ian. It may be a while but I will continue the saga.

      Delete
  5. Jenn KellyJune 18, 2015 at 5:32 AM

    Sometimes the waiting isn't for you. Maybe it's for the other people involved. I think the best you can do is wait. "And just stand". And wait. And you know what? If you make a really big mistake? God will help you there too. What would life be if we didn't have complications and bumps to make it interesting?

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