I hate making big decisions! (How’s that for an opening?!?). I know it’s part of being a mature adult, but the truth is that it’s difficult for my overthinking, over-stressed, imagine-every-possible-thing-that-could-go-wrong personality to make a large choice. Okay, maybe I’m not so bad about making the choice. It’s just afterwards that I doubt myself. I question my choice and wonder if I chose the best possible option. Many times I drive myself (and my brother, Jamie) absolutely crazy as I think, rethink, and then rethink again whether I made the right decision. You can imagine this makes life fun!!! (No, it really doesn’t) Especially when I have to replace one of the big items in our house. Recently, we had to do just that. Honestly, I didn’t see it coming. Still, out of the blue, one of the big-ticket, use-it-every-day-so-you’re-gonna-have-to-replace-it, decisions had to be made. It was time to put on my big girl pants and do some adult-ing. And yet, I wasn’t really sure where to start. Being me, I wanted to get the best quality at the lowest price. I wanted to spend God’s money in the best way possible—I just wasn’t sure what that was. So before we headed out, I prayed a heartfelt, simple prayer that said something like, “God please help me to know exactly which one is your will. I want You to choose this and make it clear which one You think is best for our family.” And boy, did He come through in a big way! As we went out looking, I found options that I liked, and yet I didn’t feel a complete peace about any of them. Then we arrived at one store that had exactly what I was looking for. It was all there—the quality, the features, every single detail. The only issue was the price—-it was slightly higher than I expected to pay. That’s when God stepped in and did a miracle, making His way perfectly clear. You see, as we were standing there debating our choices (to pay or not to pay the higher price) the sales man went to talk with his manager. When he came back he told us that we had just missed their biggest sale of the year, but because we’d purchased there before, his manager had agreed to extend the sale exclusively for us. For one day only, we could have an additional 30% off anything we wanted in the store, bringing the total to far below what I expected to pay. Now ladies, that was a miracle! More importantly, it sent the message loud and clear that THIS was God’s choice. Knowing I had God’s stamp of approval, I made my choice without fear or all of the usual questions that cause me to doubt my decisions. In more ways than the obvious, it was a blessing—-and an answer to prayer. So why am I sharing this? Well, because this incident once again reminded me of an important truth: God cares about EVERY LITTLE DETAIL of our lives. He isn’t just concerned about the big spiritual and emotional issues (even though they are VERY important to Him.). He’s also concerned about the little details—-the practical things—-the meaningless, everyday details that actually do mean so much to us. Psalm 37:23 says,
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Every detail. Isn’t that awesome??? In EVERY situation, our Heavenly Father delights in giving us direction, helping us make the right choices, and providing our needs. Of course, our job is to allow Him to do this—-to pray and ask for His direction and then wait for Him to answer. Can I share a secret with you? As I’ve learned to do this in my life, and pray about every decision—-large and small—-I’ve seen God’s hand lead, guide, protect, and provide above and beyond what I could ever imagine. Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. (The Message)
Personally, I’m learning that this is true. God wants to be involved in our lives. He wants to walk with us through every day of our lives and every decision. The question is whether or not we will extend Him and invitation and allow His to direct our steps. My choice: I ABSOLUTELY want Him involved—-after all, He knows so much for than I do. I pray this will be your choice, too. The next time you have to make a big decision (or a small one) take time to pray about it first. Then expect God to answer and wait for His choice. Involve God in every detail of your life—-trust me, you won’t regret it!
