Crossroads can be positive or negative. Often in life we feel like we are at a crossroad, especially when we are trying to decide on something that could go one way or another. Crossroads in life can be triggered by an illness in the family, financial challenges, or a troubling personal relationship. Crossroads do not always have to be about making a painful decision. They can be brought about by a tremendously happy occasion or overwhelming success where we are faced with a choice that will have a significant impact on our future.
To be at a crossroads is a point in your life where you have an important decision to make—one that will determine which path you will take. It can be a time of opportunity or a time of crisis.
All of us have faced crossroads in our life and know that making decisions about the direction we want to take can be complicated. Wisdom teaches us to seek God through prayer for guidance at crossroads in our lives and to have faith that God will lead us to the right path.
Life is full of turning points. You must be able to work out what is important to you and to understand your values and why they are or are not reflected in past decisions. Clarity is essential for making good decisions and research suggests that visualizing ourselves at a crossroads can be helpful for decision-making.
We also need to gather information and understand the world around us when we are at a crossroad. We must think seriously about the future consequences of our decisions. We must find out what is happening now that could have lasting importance in our lives. This is not easy if we rely on television and newspapers to keep us informed, because the media see their job as entertainment more often than they do enlightenment.
The media focus on current events that provide vivid drama or other interest may not be in our best interests when making decisions. The most important events often signal often trends, long-term shifts that may affect us in innumerable ways— even if we are totally unaware of them.
A key factor in identifying significant change is the external environment. Whenever we are faced with a decision, we should have knowledge of the world beyond our immediate area of need, such as an illness in the family, financial challenges, or a troubling personal relationship. So, make your decision and remember to have faith in whatever decisions you make in life. And Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
