Choose Wisely

Choose Wisely

The LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11

Tara noticed the new guy in her apartment complex right away. He was tall, good looking, and punctual, always arriving home from work at 6:15. He was the most interesting person in her life at the moment since a previous relationship had left her feeling vulnerable and lonely. But from the first day he smiled at her at the mailbox cluster, she had something to look forward to.

From her front window she could see his black truck enter the complex and head toward the nearby mailboxes before pulling into his parking spot. Tara kept her postal key by the door, so she often “happened” to be at the mailbox as his vehicle pulled up.

At first, she just wanted to get a closer look at his square jaw, so she would merely offer a quiet “Hello” or “Nice day, isn’t it?” as she retrieved her stack of junk mail. But his quick smile and compliments on her attire or her hairstyle would cause her to linger. Her loneliness began to lift as she searched for conversation that would lead to topics of mutual interest. But soon she realized they didn’t have much in common. She could tell his Sundays didn’t include church because he and his buddies set off early to climb boulder-filled mountain trails in their customized vehicles. He didn’t like music—not country/western, classical, or the hymns she found comforting. And to her amazement, he didn’t like sports, not even their own local championship teams. Still she plotted their mailbox meetings. —SANDRA

Lord, help me not to panic and just settle for whatever is available, whether it is a potential spouse, a job, or some other new situation. Teach me to listen to you and to wait for you, who know best, to provide your best.

We are half-hearted creatures like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

—C. S. LEWIS (1898–1963), IRISH WRITER AND LITERARY SCHOLAR