Tomorrow (and every Tuesday for the next 6 weeks), I have to go to a new location for my rotation. A new assisted living facility means, a new billing system to learn, new resident names to remember, (today during our staff meeting I had to ask who two patients were because their names didn’t set off any red flashing lights in my head), a new CI to work with, and a 40 minute commute. But today as I was getting the information for tomorrow I wasn’t worried about the unknown of a new facility or my long commute (I am excited to enjoy an extra cup of coffee during my drive); I was worried about the dress code. For three weeks, I have worn Khaki pants and a blue polo to my rotation every morning. And despite being confused for a Walmart employee by a man looking for a canned ham (he couldn’t have been looking for an easy item) when I went to Walmart after work; I love having a dress code. I love knowing exactly what I am going to wear in the mornings because I don’t waste time trying on 6 different outfits and more importantly I don’t iron 6 different pairs of pants. (and then ultimately decide on the first pair I ironed) If I didn’t have a dress code, I would try many different outfit combinations because I like to try out all of my options. (and because my thighs are larger than my waist so I have a battle with almost every pair of pants in my closet) My excessive option selection isn’t limited to my wardrobe. When I am standing in front of an ice cream counter; I am the employees worst nightmare. I try every kind at least once and then I pick my top three choices and try them again. And you never want to tell me to pick a restaurant because I love food, friends, and fun. And I can talk myself into any restaurant involving all three.
I am not one of those individuals who will begin deep breathing (into a bag) if every hour of the day doesn’t go as planned and I am definitely not a perfectionist. In fact, I love adventures, unplanned coffee dates, and lazy Saturdays. But when I can’t make up my mind; I am very talented at trying out as many options as I can. Unfortunately, I have tried every option of sin Satan laid in front of me before I made up my mind to finally follow Christ. Trust me friends, my plan was never to explore all of my sin options before making a decision. Once I asked Christ into my heart, I had no intentions of ever sinning again. And in my naive young mind, I believed I wouldn’t. I had Jesus living in my heart; how could I sin with Jesus? What I didn’t fully understand at 14 was that Satan would provide me with every option of sin imaginable. I thought I was the queen of seeking out options until I met Satan. Settling on a decision isn’t part of who he is. He will never be satisfied with our decision to choose Christ over sin. He will never stop providing us with the option to trust the lies that come from his lips. And friends every word he utters is one big fat giant LIE! When you think you have finally defeated Satan and sin doesn’t appeal to you in any form, flavor, or option; he will explore new ways to test your faith and cause you pain in hopes of reigniting your desire to take him up on one of his options. I have stood at the counter of Satan and tasted all of his schemes. I have dressed myself in his filth. And I have eaten from his garbage pit. Every option I explored finally allowed me to realize one thing. I could have everything Satan offered but it didn’t mean anything if I didn’t have Jesus. And we can’t have both friends. The option of sin and Jesus together won’t work. Our option selection stops there. We can either choose sin or we can choose Jesus. Are you tired of choosing Satan? Are you tired of the selections he offers? Are you frustrated because your talents of exploring every option are leading you to a dead end every time? If you are, limit yourself to one option: Jesus. And let me tell you a secret…Jesus trumps every option Satan provides.
I love ice cream, wide legged pants, and good food so I usually try a few options before I make up my mind. Despite a variety in new menus, new flavors, and new styles; I usually (85% of the time) opt for some form of a chicken entrée, maple/caramel nut ice cream, and Gap pants (they have the best waist to thigh ratio). I know me better than I like to admit and I definitely need to listen to myself more than I like to admit. But God isn’t shaking His finger at me saying, “Listen to yourself.” He is giving me the option to shake my finger at Satan and say, “Listen to me. I will choose Jesus every time.”
Verse to remember: James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
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