Choose Life!

Temporary or Permanent Solutions

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.” Deuteronomy 30:15-16 ESV

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” ―Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I hate to share this, but if it saves one person…

I ran away from home when I was 15 years old and was at a party. I took some drugs and I was out for two days. I was lucky. No one called a doctor or emergency assistance. I woke up alone in a dirty, vacant house not knowing anything that happened to me. Nothing!

I wobbled back home to a volatile family life. I called my high school counselor and she tried to connect with my parents. Dad was willing but my mom was not. The counselor said we were on our own and we’d work together to get me some peace and coping skills. It was tough! But dying from an overdose is a permanent solution to temporary problems.

The counselor and I started a group for teens whose home life was turbulent. It opened up communication, hope, and affection for each other. It was still tough! Hormones raging, the Viet Nam War was at its peak, and support groups were a new and untried experiment. Some of us made it. Some did not.

I regretted so much of my adolescence but dying would be worse. I had no visions of paradise, bright light, or God. A good counselor, support, and hope got me to adulthood. Was I scared? You bet! “Fear is the beginning of wisdom,” the Good Book says. It motivated me to take hold of my life and pursue it with all its hard lessons and unpredictability. There comes joy, love, and accomplishment, eventually.

Musings

There is an unseen universal and unspoken grace among us, of that, I’m sure. I’m here. You’re here. If we were honest, our youthful decisions could have erased us from this planet. The Father saved us. May we share this with others who are on the precipice of permanent solutions to temporary problems.

Prayer

Dear Father,

Life is tough. Life is particularly tough when all we see is permanent pain and harm. You provided unseen and seen angels who helped us. You provide now. You have a glorious purpose for each of us if we seek life, not death.

Thank you for life—now and eternally.

Amen.