I sat at the table, waiting, reflecting, and wondering. While I had no significant decisions waiting, there were choices in front of me, several asking to be made. Part of me wanted to make a decision or two and put several options behind me. Although the ask was clear, I sat silently, letting the alternatives remain untouched. I knew my best step forward was picking at least one. I sat still, hesitating.
My coffee arrived. I looked for a napkin. In the moment, I saw my choices as a visual reference to much more. Yes, some choices look alike. This does not change the need to act. Yes, some choices need to be tested. The ask to step forward remains the same. Yes, I may need to experiment as a way of choosing. Experience has a way of informing me if I decide to embrace what she has to say.
Choices are part of a larger canvas. I can learn from my experience and the journeys of those around me. I can listen to the wisdom shared by others. I can. The operative word is both a question and an answer in Singlish. Knowing one can do something motivates me when I embrace freedom and everything that comes with it. The whisper in the moment of choosing one napkin over another reflected the many choices I will have during the day ahead along with this moment.
Choices are wasted when I do not use them. People in need will remain in need until I choose to act. I will only move forward once I take one of the alternatives as my own. Everything pivots in the moment, big as well as small. I look back in time with a sense of loss. I can change this moment with my choice.
I hold the invitation to follow an unknown writer; “I said, ‘I’m here to do it your way, O God, the way it’s described in your Book.’” (Hebrews 10.7). I care to make a difference. I embrace compassion. I choose to act with kindness and care.
