I Want it That Way!

Oooh Backstreet Boys, you were the loves of my pathetic junior high life... Especially you AJ haha! Not that I'm ashamed, because clearly I'm not, haha! Always did have a thing for the rough ones for some reason... Always wanting to take in stray, ugly, lost, hurt animals too... Guess I'm one of those "fixers" you hear about, ha!  Anyway, that's a little off topic to what I've decided to write about today. Just the "I want it that way" phrase is important... Because

I was having coffee with some friends Sunday and the topic of "coming to the brink" came up... You know what I'm talking about, that whole situation where you are "coming to the brink" of a decision that has to be made and you really have no direction of choice whatsoever! Or that essay that's "coming to the brink" of being due in about five hours, it's 4:47 am and you still haven't even written more than a paragraph!?  But even more seriously you think "I want it that way" but when you're actually "coming to the brink" of getting it that way only to realize you don't "want it that way" at all..? 

I've had those kind of situations happen frequently in life... I hope that doesn't mean something horrible about me or my ability to make good choices! ha!  Here's the thing, it actually happened to me this week! I needed out of a situation actually, I was just fed up with everything about it including the people involved so I wanted out... I took steps to make that happen and quite a while after I thought it should have happened already it did... I was given an opportunity to get out.  I thought I wanted out of this situation "at any cost" and the offer was actually better than I had expected, I wouldn't really be losing anything... But when it came down to it, I realized I would be gaining what I've been saying I wanted but giving up on some things I'm really used to and quite frankly enjoy.  So then what was I supposed to do!? What I thought I wanted in an "out at any cost" situation was not really what I needed at all... I needed to take steps to fix the situation I was in not run in another direction without any thought of what would happen to the people associated...  It all worked out in the end and I've stayed in the situation I was in before and am actually building on what I've already worked for... Which, in this case, is much better for me in the end.

Why have I told you all this without giving you any real detail of what the situation entailed?  Because you don't need to know... The situation, decision, opportunity doesn't matter at all.. What matters is that you know the only key to making sure you make the right decision, face any situation correctly and take the opportunities you're meant to have. 

Here's the secret: PRAYER!  God knows what's best for us even when we don't... I prayed about my situation the whole way through, first that I would get a way out, then that I wouldn't so I wouldn't have to make any scary steps on my own then that the right decision would be clear for me to make... See, I don't think God is much for "OK dear, this is the direction you should go and this is the decision you should make on March 15, 2012 when Sally Sue asks you the question!" He is our father and He knows what stage of development we should be at in any given time of our lives... Unfortunately, that means he's not always going to tell you "hey, if you stick your finger in the socket you're going to get a shock!" but like any parent, if you ask for His opinion, advice and/or help He most definitely will make it clear to you... Sometimes He will require you to face a situation you're afraid of to make sure you realize He's there with you, you're never alone and you can get through it, you're stronger than you think you are... Sometimes He will require you to make your own decisions instead of closing a door and removing the decision from your control... Sometimes He will allow an opportunity to come your way that you've always thought you wanted only to show you that's not what is best or what you really want at all... But ALL THE TIME He loves you, He will be with you, He will help you and if you ask a question and pay attention to the answer you will be getting closer to your destiny every day.