Have you ever got to the front of the line at a coffee shop and realised that you have no idea what you want to order?

I don’t know if it is just me, but I have often been so deeply engaged in conversations (or just my own daydreams) that by the time I reach the teller I can’t even remember why I was standing in line. Then indecision anxiety sets in and I make disastrously impulsive decisions.

In many ways, we do this in life as well. There is always a process that we find ourselves in – a proverbial queue. Whether it be the corporate ladder, the next step in your relationship, passing subjects or upgrading your phone contract – we find ourselves in a system where we are required to progress. Unfortunately when we reach these milestones, however, we can be taken by surprise. This can easily cause us to do one of two things:

  1. ‘Step out’ of the line – become overwhelmed with life

I have personally experienced the frustrating feeling of not knowing what to do. The day I graduated from university, we found out my mother had cancer. To this day, I can remember the feeling of being completely thrown by this ‘punch’ left of field. All of a sudden instead of facing the decision of what to do with my life now that I am finished studying, I was faced with the decision of what to believe about my mom’s situation. It caused me to step out of the line – to delay my decision process.

All of a sudden I had a choice to make that was way more important than what kind of job I would have. I had to choose how I was going to respond to the reality that my mom was sick. It was clear – either I could be depressed, afraid and retreat from life, or I could choose to believe that we were all going to weather the storm. The choice between ‘life or death’ had never been clearer for me. I decided to have faith and encourage, even though most of the time I just wanted to retreat. Probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

2. Make quick, uninformed decisions

Thankfully, a year later, my mother is in full remission. And after volunteering and surviving in the limbo of indecision for a year, I was able to step back into the line of deciding what to do with my life. There was quite a lot of urgency around my ability to earn. It was time for me to take responsibility about the direction of my life. The first opportunity was for me to start in an entry level position at a bank. It did not suit me at all. I hadn’t studied in this area. I had no passion for office work. But it was a quick and easy option. Thankfully, I decided that going with the first thing that came to me would be more like ‘choosing death’ than waiting it out a bit and taking full stock of what I could be doing.

I have now been able to find work that I am passionate about. I found employment that was ‘life’ to me.

There is a verse in the Bible that says “I set before life and death – choose life“. There is no middle ground. No option to simply not choose. Every decision we make – from what we eat, to how we feel – will either result in life or death.

I would not be where I am today without God, awesome pastors, friends and community. Being in an environment of encouragement and vision made the choice for life easy. If you are facing a tough season, if you feel like you’re drowning in indecision or desperate for direction – choose life and click on the link below.