Decisions & Consequences - Part II

The decision I made was a simple one.

I re-embraced the chocolate business. Now, I must say that I did receive some interesting confirmations that I was to go that direction in the first place. My whole life has been about trying to follow Jesus, since I accepted Him in my heart two days before I was 16.

I have felt sometimes like Cain, wandering through my life trying to find that "one thing" I was put here to do. At any one given time in my life if you would have asked me, I would have told you, "I really think this is what God wanted me to do." My "weight" of a decision always had to do with circumstances. If it was a job - I'd get it. If it was some kind of ministry opportunity - I'd get it.

I'd never had confirmation on jobs or ministry calls or opportunities - from prophets, angels, visions, etc. The only time I think I met an angel was at ORU, and this nice looking young man told me that "God wants you to really get what you just read." It had to do with God's love for me, if I remember right.

I had never had that kind of confirmation regarding a direction - until this direction for chocolate. I had 30 dreams over a period of about 40 days - all about working with chocolate. I think I must have "needed" all that - because of the brokenness I had just gone through. I was afraid of making another mistake in direction. That error had cost me dearly in more ways than one.

And - interestingly enough - I did receive a "prophetic" word about a "new fun thing" and to "go with it." I had already begun making chocolate when I got that. The person who said that to me had never met before and didn't know I had started making chocolate.

So - I re-embraced the chocolate.

Within two weeks, oppression broke off, and I received the largest order for chocolates I'd ever had. And our Valentine's season was extraordinary.

I know it was the result of my decision.

Next time: How I arrived at this process - and what I learned from it. What do you think? As you look over your life, how have your decisions affected what you're doing right now? Post a comment and let me know.

Decisions and their consequences - Part 1

Last year I made a decision to start this blog, and another one for professional purposes. I had been taking an online writing class and I wanted to write - even if I couldn't get paid for it right away.

I "embraced" becoming a writer. I thought the chocolate business had started itself well and things were chugging along. I thought I could do two things at once.

I was wrong. Although I received encouragement to write, I didn't hardly get any writing "jobs" or submissions accepted. This sent me into a funk last fall. As a result of my pursuing writing, the chocolate business didn't do as well as I had hoped.

I had to make a decision. And I made it. I once took a spiritual development class that talked about "the weight of a decision." The point was that the more important the decision, the more outside confirmation you need to receive. The problem I had with that was that the instructors seemed to place greater emphasis for confirmation on spiritual experiences I had never had.

I didn't feel that was realistic for most followers of Christ. Next time: the decision I made and some of the consequences. What about you? How do you make the tough decisions - regarding life direction, ministry direction, etc.?