I love the idea of options. As intensely as I crave to have alternatives, my choice is often predictable, and routine. I want to know that there are different ways of approaching an opportunity. I long to see different ways I can approach decisions. I know there is more than what I can see. And yet, I often struggle to see anything more than the obvious.
I am fortunate. I have a friend that I can turn to, especially in times like this. No matter how much I think I have explored a particular topic or approach, he always asks me a question that I have not thought about. At times the questions seem random and obscure. The first time I reacted that way, he pursued the question on a deeper level. With reflection, I realized there was more to my decision than I thought possible!
Given our history together, I no longer question his questions. I welcome each as an opportunity to see beyond my horizons. I know I will interpret his words in ways that he did not intend. I also know that the Spirit consistently uses him to push me in ways that are wonderfully fresh. Even though I find myself applying business models from one section to another, there are more opportunities. When I think I have mastered one approach, a fresh variation is introduced and I find myself learning from the beginning.
A tweet reminded me of how much we have to share with each other. For those that twitter, the random thoughts of others (tweets) often take you to places you did not anticipate. In a random moment, a wise friend reacted to an unusual text. I know that he does not realize how reassuring his doubts are to my journey. It was as if we/they were “proceeding on through Mysia, [and now] they went down to the seaport Troas.” (Acts 16.8) We were walking, sharing, and seeing more than either of us could have on our own.
Life can appear scripted, predetermined. It never is. We have freedom within.
