Thursday, July 21, 2011

Questions and (hopefully) Answers

I'm sharing this blog for a multitude of reasons. Recently, I have come to believe that you cannot truly complete a thought, or have a thought answered for that matter, without writing it down. Spoken word is powerful, but what do people do when they have questions? Maybe they ask someone for advice, maybe they pray, but you can probably place your bets on a person with questions referring to written word. Whether it be their friend Google, the Bible, a self-help book, or a simple magazine, as a species, we want answers.. and reading is where we find them.

When I titled this blog, I was thinking about how many questions about life I still have. Not just about my future, but about my past. Is there a reason to question your past? Maybe not, but it seems natural to wonder "what if.." every now and then. Don't get me wrong, my afternoons are not spent daydreaming of what could have been, but if it's true that every decision we make (including what to eat for breakfast) has a ripple effect on our lives, isn't it fascinating to ponder the twists life could hold (or did hold) by something we deem insignificant? On the seemingly endless 16 hour flight I was recently on, making my way back from Africa, I watched The Adjustment Bureau. I found this movie to be completely intriguing. Is there a way to control your own fate, or does God have His master plan, and we are merely along for the ride? I like to think it rests somewhere happily in the middle. I know my sister agrees, since we recently discussed this. Although, I can't help but wonder: do we simply enjoy this thought because it's the easiest one to swallow? Or do we truly believe we hold some, if not all, of our fate in our hands?

My first question is this: when we make decisions, do we consider the full effect it will have on ourselves, our loved ones, even our surroundings? Or do we simply make decisions based on the moment we're in, focused solely on the here and now? And if we do use our guts and think things through, how much does it really make a difference? If God has a road map for us, do we get to make pit stops, even detours? Or do we simply THINK we have control, and each decision ultimately leads us back to His plan?

I look forward to hearing answers from you.

2 comments:

  1. Either you're still jet lagged or 3:51 a.m. equals a recent spiral into insomnia. I'm going to have to chew on this post for awhile...because to me it seems the answers to this question are the ones most often sought after. Way to get me thinking on my vacation!! :)

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  2. Ash, you aren't starting out with any light hearted chit chat- you're diving straight in :) I would like to say it depends on the situation and whether it would affect only myself or others in the meantime. I'm a pretty big realist and sometimes it keeps me from doing things that in the end, may have been beneficial or detrimental, but I guess I'll never know!
    I've been a pretty safe player throughout my life which I guess has kept me on a fairly straight path. My mouth sometimes runs faster than my brain does, so in that sense- I definitely don't think about the outcome of what I say immediately before it comes out. That, in turn has caused some problems for me in my relationships whether it be with a boyfriend or friend. Those times of the month and amount I have been sleeping should be signs to myself to hold my tongue :oP
    I always say I am going to become more spontaneous and think less about things, and maybe this will be the case or maybe I'll stay on the path that is more traveled and play the safe bet! I guess we will all have to see.

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