Pro-Choice = Free Will

I believe we are ALL created by God. I believe we ALL have a purpose, and that purpose was fully intended when we were created. I also believe you don't have to BELIEVE in God for those statements to be true. Truth just is. For example, you do not have to believe 2+2=4, it just is, your belief or unbelief has no bearing. So for the following reflection, let it be understood that God has a plan (for each of us), but (AND) he gave us free will. Free will means we can follow that plan, or not, it's our decision. This is what sets human beings apart from the animals.

Ergo, inasmuch as we are human; we have a choice. You make thousands of choices/decisions every, single, day, some are mundane and inconsequential, and others have greater impact on you and those around you. Yes, your decisions can (and do) effect others.

For example, you may decide to ignore safe driving practices, because you are running late. You may be running late because of a decision you made earlier, or because of a decision someone else made which caused the traffic you're sitting in. In any case, decisions were made. Each of those decisions has risk and consequence. The result may be as simple as, you are late to work, or worse, there was a serious accident that caused injury or death. (Risk and consequence)

In another example, you may decide to package up your dinner leftovers and take them to your neighbor. Not a big deal really, it's just leftovers. But what if your neighbor was having a really bad day (I mean really bad), and your decision to send leftovers was the proof they needed, to know that they mattered to someone. Perhaps your leftovers were the ray of hope in a dark day. (Those are some pretty good leftovers!) So by degrees, this decision of yours also resulted in consequences and you may never even know it. The point is, YOU MADE A CHOICE.

There are also the times where the stakes are a little higher, these are our crossroads, so to speak. These are weightier decisions and the path for our lives (and other lives) will inevitably be greatly impacted. So how do we make these decisions? What is the method? In practices of faith we call this discernment, and we try to sort out the difference between our plans and God's plans for us. It is tricky, because there is no rule (or instruction) book to follow, or is there?

Doubtless we can conclude and agree, that our decisions have an impact that is beyond the present. Some decisions we regret, immensely. Living with regrets is hard because we are also our own worst enemy. We doubt ourselves constantly and that doubt can cause us to make more (misguided) decisions. I know if I could go back and talk to my teenage self (or my 20's self, or really several specific instances of my younger self) I'd share my present day perspectives, so that my young self would make different decisions. Now thankfully, when I am at a crossroads I try to think beyond the present moment, (because the present is often muddied by emotions) and imagine the future in both directions. This helps to relieve my anxiety in the present, and usually gives me the clarity I need to see past right now.

Truthfully, we do not beat ourselves up about decisions that were good in the first place. We only fret over those we kind of knew, if we were honest with ourselves, were bad decisions. It's those decisions, that we cannot undo, that plague us. I have made a few, believe me. And what's worse, is one bad decision can lead to more bad decisions, because one wrong turn at a crossroad often leads quickly to another crossroad where we are facing another bad decision. Then before we know it, we are lost under a mountain of anxiety, stress, depression, etc. I know because have made a series of bad decisions, knowing that if I didn't continue, then someone would know about my first bad decision, and I wanted to keep that hidden AT ALL COSTS. I know this sounds silly, but I have done it. Someone once made analogy for me that helped me break vicious cycles.

They asked me if I had ever dropped my phone, then picked up my phone and saw the crack in the upper corner? Then they said would my next action be to throw the phone hard on the ground and stomp on it? I laughed, of course not, don't be ridiculous. They said making another bad decision (because of the first one) is the same thing.

Huh? It was a good visual analogy and I think about it whenever I am tempted to 'add insult to injury,' as the saying goes.

Sometimes we don't see the harm in our choice until its too late, and other times we try to ignore the harm and convince ourselves it'll be okay. At every crossroad though, there is a choice between MY WAY (what I want or don't want) and HIS WAY, (which is always for our greatest good) because above all else GOD IS LOVE. God does not NEED US, He WANTS US and He LOVES US, completely and unconditionally. He WANTS us to walk toward Him on the path He set for us at our creation. There is perfect peace and JOY on that path. So if you can light a path for me, that fills me with purpose, peace and JOY, than that is the choice I want to make.

So the next time you find yourself arguing about your right to choose, remember this 'right' was given to us by God. We have the freedom to choose our path and it is our responsibility to make right choices, in all things. It is never about CAN or CAN'T, it is about SHOULD or SHOULDN'T.

---

Cheeseburger Chowder