So Loud I Couldn't Hear It

I once read that average adults make well over 30,000 decisions in a day. By far, the majority of them are not matters of life or death but do affect how our time will be spent. We make the easy picks without even thinking – eat this for lunch, wear that to work. Additionally, we are tasked with making decisions that could impact our lives for the better if we choose wisely. These types of “fork-in-the-road” situations can leave us stuck in place if we take too long trying to figure out which direction to take.

I spent the last few months contemplating the best route to take regarding a business matter. In between the other 29,000 daily choices, my mind churned out ideas and questions in an endless cycle. I searched and researched, prayed, and listened to the opinions of others, all in the name of due diligence. None of the options I thought of seemed sufficient enough for me to make a commitment.

Finally, exhaustion and frustration led me to make a conscious effort to leave the matter alone. The reality is that this was not an urgent matter at all. But the people who know me well understand how hard it is for me to let go of something once I begin. So there I was on another sleepless night, free falling into the arms of God. I told Him what He already knows: If it is His Will it will be done.

In the quiet of the next morning my ears popped open and I heard it. The answers to my nagging questions had been coming from every direction for the past few days. I sat in the dark and heard words spoken at a business expo I attended and wise advice from a spiritual leader that went straight to the heart of the matter. I watched a sermon I had recorded, did some reading, recalled conversations with family members. Clear and simple answers had been there all along! I wasn’t listening because I was too busy overthinking and second guessing.

Two hours later an unexpected phone call confirmed what had fallen on my deaf ears. The call only lasted a minute or two, but you better believe I listened to every word.