Knocked Down From Both Sides

"Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by traffic from both sides." - Margaret Thatcher, the first woman in European history to be elected prime minister

I've done this before - figuratively speaking of course. I've hesitated and procrastinated over and over again when faced with challenges and it felt at times like I was getting knocked down from every direction.

When I read this I was immediately reminded of how indecisive I used to be. I would get myself so worked up about making the wrong choice that I wouldn't make any choices at all. This led to even bigger problems since some choices were necessary and I was not taking responsibility for meeting important deadlines.

Here's what I've learned - I need to make informed decisions in a timely manner and let go of the results. If I make the best decision for me after gathering as much information as possible, then I've done my part. You see, I always assumed that I had made the wrong choice if something didn't work out the way I thought it should. That's not necessarily true. The truth is that I will never know how things would have worked out had I gone in another direction. It could have been even worse had I chosen a different path. So the question is how can I handle these dilemmas now?

The answer is simple - do the footwork, make a decision, and move forward. I have learned to let go of the results. God is in charge of the outcome. If I follow this formula, my life runs smoothly and I'm content. Since I know that the God of my understanding is big enough to handle all of my problems today, it works out quite well. Today I am grateful that I no longer feel it necessary to stand in the middle of the road, hoping that I don't get knocked down from both sides. Life is good today.