Making Decisions

We’re not very decisive people.

Side of the island where health team will start

We have more than one mildly-embarrassing story of us hemming and hawing about a minor decision. Walking through a foreign city, passing restaurants but not being able to decide where to eat until time and hunger forces us to eat at a place neither of us is very excited about. Or spending so much of an evening deciding whether to play a game or watch a movie, that we end up just going to bed having done neither because it has gotten so late. It’s not a trait of which we are proud and in our role as leaders we’ve had to get better at making clear decisions, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still waste time with indecisiveness every now and then.

Obviously not all decisions are weighted equally. It is one thing when we are talking about what movie to watch or what restaurant to order dinner from, it’s another thing if we are talking about big decisions with lasting effects on our lives.

We have several big decisions hanging before us. First, we have to move! Our landlords let us know that they need us out by March. Deciding where to move is a big decision that will impact us greatly! We also have perspective team mates who are interested in joining us on the island. Welcoming the right or wrong people could shape the health and effectiveness of our team for months and years to come. Then there is a proposal brought by some island brothers and sisters for us to do some targeted training to help raise up new leaders and help the work to multiply. The right decisions here could lead to lasting results!

But big decisions aren’t made in isolation. We often have to go through the decision-making process together. We have to navigate different styles of decision-making. Quick, slow, internal, external, intuitive, analytical. People tackle decisions differently and our different styles can lead to conflict, making us groan at the prospect of making decisions in a way that will please everyone involved.

Son playing in empty lot near our current house

But then, where does our faith come into all of this? Who are we actually trying to please? If we believe that God has a plan and has the ability to lead and guide us— how does that play out in group decision-making?

It’s with that question that all the anxiety about decision-making starts to disappear. It’s not on us to make the right decision or risk making the wrong one. We can pray, faithfully pursue different options and watch for His hand providing confirmations, opening doors, bringing peace and/or warning us away. We just need to take the time to listen and watch with open eyes and soft hearts.   

We’ve been reading a challenging book with our team. The author makes an incredible statement, as he talks about focusing on his moment-by-moment concentration on God.  “This concentration upon God is strenuous, but everything else has ceased to be so.  I think more clearly, forget less frequently.  Things which I did with strain before, I now do easily and with no effort whatever.  I worry about nothing, and lose no sleep.”  What a statement.  What a claim.  It puts all these decisions into a new light. He continues “Nothing can go wrong except one thing.  That is that God may slip from my mind if I do not keep on my guard.  If He is there, the universe is with me.  My task is simple and clear.”  

This year's first lychees!

Doesn’t that sound wonderful?  Rather than focusing and obsessing on the decision itself, we focus on God and find that we can face decisions with confidence and peace.  We have seen him do it before, but it is easy for us to forget and grow anxious when a new set of decisions comes our way. May we grow as listeners! May whatever is holding us back from that kind of communion disappear and the answers to all our looming decisions be brought into the light.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We have already seen one house that is a good possibility.  We will keep looking, but it’s nice to know we have options.  Our good island friends had their baby and mother and baby are both healthy.  We are rejoicing at the news of another new sister from the next town over.  This is again the result of islanders bringing other islanders into the family—very exciting.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We are getting back into English teaching this week.  Classes starting up, getting the English Club going, and lots of exams and ceremonies in the coming weeks.  Pray for us as we get used to the busyness again. We are excited to start planning some training sessions with our island brothers and sisters.  Pray for the recent new brothers and sisters who are in need of mentoring, learning and growth.  Tom was able to meet up and have a very direct and thoughtful conversation about the kingdom of Light with his old study friends.  It is not clear if they will start studying together yet, but it was a very good conversation.  A former worker is visiting the islands this week.  Pray that his visit would be a great encouragement and spread much light.  Please keep praying for our boys getting ready for local school especially our youngest.  We still don’t know when the school year will start! Our youngest’s French is still very rusty, but we’re making some slow headway.