Menu please...

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating

and drinking if God had not made them

a pleasure as well as a necessity…”

- Voltaire

I have a young friend finding herself at a decision-making place in her life.  Actually, I suppose, I don’t know anybody who isn’t.  Isn’t everything about making decisions, really?  I suppose it’s just a matter of magnitude.

At any rate, it’s a professional choice.  There are a number of options in front of her and she is not completely clear what she should do.  It isn’t a decision between right and wrong – that would be a much longer topic for another time!  While the decision is important, it’s more like looking at the menu and trying to decide between the Lamb and the Beef.

What to do…

We spend a lot of our lives trying to figure out what it is we are supposed to do with the ‘big picture’ self.  I suspect for a lot of us, we actually never find out.  We just sort of show up, and with the most modest of forethought, do whatever appears in front of us.  I mean, how do we really know?

I should say in the first instance that I believe in God, AND I believe that He has a plan for each of us…somewhat to do as a part of something bigger.  The apostle Paul would say each of us has a gift - likened to a body part - and each gift working together makes the ‘entire body’ (mankind) function as it was intended.  In other words find that calling and work our lives in it.  Finding that calling is the result of a lot of little decisions we make.

Thinking God has a specific plan for us, however, could be seen as hubris with a capital ‘H’…maybe even a capital ‘S!’  It does seem a little arrogant to believe the Creator of the universe…the Author of intelligent design…the Originator of the ‘tertium quid’ (sometimes described as: beyond chance and necessity…you know the spiritual side of things), would take the time to consider us as individuals?  I know, for many of us, it is simply a matter of faith…a matter of acceptance.  BUT is it that simple?  Don’t we have some part in it?  We are ‘free moral agents’ aren’t we?  There is consequence to choice isn’t there?  I mean, don't we at least need to look at the menu?

“Faith without works is dead…”

Believing God has a plan for us, and actually finding out what that plan is, are probably two completely different things.  “Finding our place…” is not just a matter of faith, it is a matter of choice...and choice is a matter of action.  After all the scripture does say, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you…” Ask, seek and knock are all action verbs…we need to do something!

Do something…ah yes, find something to do…when all else fails, do something!  There is a reason these action verbs are part of the center-piece of our faith, for without asking, seeking, knocking, nothing happens.  When nothing happens things remain the same.  When everything remains the same…well, you know, they stop growing.  When things stop growing they lose relevance.  When things lose relevance, they die…

I’m not clear whether my young friend will choose the “…Lamb” or “…Beef,” but I know she will make a choice.  That choice will lead to others and as long as she continues to ask the questions, seek for the answers, and knock on the doors of the unknown, she will continue to grow. 

Pardonnez-moi, que aimez-vous pour le dîner ? – Pardon me, what would you like for dinner?

- ted