HIS FACE IN MY JOURNEY
Decisions
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16
We often refer to the significant decisions in our lives as "life and death" decisions. The stakes are high and
making the right decision is crucial. And so we feel the weight of it. We do our part using all of the
resources God has given us, being diligent about researching information, obtaining multiple professional
opinions, and weighing the risks and benefits; bathing everything in prayer. But sometimes, despite this process,
the "right" decision remains unclear. As we navigate real "life and death" matters like cancer, the quest for the
"right" decision becomes a quest for the "perfect" decision. And so we push harder, to be even more wise, more
judicious, more diligent, more prayerful, more faithful; as if heightening our efforts in response to the seriousness of
the issue is what matters. But this just increases the weight and the pressure. And so it would seem that life and death decisions are really just like the rest. No matter how diligent or wise or judicious I am, there is always a chance that I am missing something or that some of the pieces are missing. And so the best I can do is my best. And if things don't turn out the way I had hoped, then I have to believe that they would have turned out that way anyways. Because there is no second guessing my relationship with God. I may not have confidence in much, but like David, I do have confidence in Him and my relationship with Him.
David was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), and He achieved success as a king because he inquired of the Lord (e.g., 2 Samuel 2:1). We are to be like David and inquire of the Lord for all of our
decisions. And then we are to trust His leading. If we feel drawn to a particular
oncologist, then let us be confident to rest in her advice being faithful to petition God
for her wisdom. If we experience God's peace as we ponder one choice over the other, then
let us rest in Jehovah Shalom. If the Lord speaks to us through the scripture, then let us believe
and obey.
It is overwhelming to navigate the decisions of cancer, particularly if we try to do it without God. So, ask Him for wisdom and direction. Then, be open to the answers He is giving you (John 8:47; John 10:4, 27) and walk in faith - no looking back or second guessing. He was there for me at every decision point, waiting for me to seek Him, waiting with an answer. And He is waiting for you, too. ""