How often do we think about the consequence of our actions? I know that I don't think about it much. I make decisions based on what is going on at the time, or how I'm feeling, but I don't often consider how that decision will affect people down the road.
A week before Christmas, I was in a car accident. I was headed to a place of business that I had never been to before, so I wasn't exactly sure where it was at. I only knew what intersection it was on. As I made my way towards the intersection, I slowed down to look around. I asked the kids to help me find it. Trees had covered their sign and I didn't see it until I was almost passed it. I realized I was in the wrong lane, so I quickly looked for clearance and began to change lanes.
*SCREEEEEECH.....BANG!!!*
My very first accident. And I caused it. As if I didn't have enough to do already!
No one was hurt, thankfully. But, that one decision to merge quickly without fully looking around all my blind spots, affected a lot more than I even know.
First, it threw my entire week off. I then had to deal with the insurance company and auto shop. We received a rental car, but I didn't want to drive it more than I had to, so I didn't run every errand I wanted to run before we left for Christmas in Iowa.
Second, we didn't get to leave for Iowa when I was planning to leave. The people at the auto shop worked very very very hard so we could leave on time, but there were things that weren't under their control that slowed them down. I was still able to leave the same day, just a lot later than planned. This meant missing going caroling with my home church which K and I were really looking forward to. And I'm sure my family was looking forward to our early arrival and had a nice supper planned. It also meant driving on slick roads in the dark with deer everywhere by the time I reached Iowa. We made it safely without incident.
Third, it may have thrown my life out of whack, but I have no idea how it affected the woman I hit. Her mother arrived on the scene afterwards and told me there was family stuff going on at home. I'm sure I added a lot of stress to her life which already must have been very emotional from what I gathered. Perhaps I caused her to change her holiday plans as well, or her family's. I honestly have no idea how my quick, selfish, decision affected her life, but I know it did.
Fourth, I received a traffic ticket which of course costs money, which we don't have much of especially during Christmas season. Along with that was the co-pay for our auto repairs.
Now, I'm a lot more careful about checking my blind spots completely before switching lanes.
That ONE decision had a huge affect, not only on my life, but on my children's lives, my husband's life, even my family's life in Iowa, not to mention the life of the woman I hit. One decision.
While in Iowa, on Christmas day, the kids had gotten new toys and were playing with them. I think it was around supper time when K came up to me and said someone got her Pony castle out of the box after she had put it all back in and that the pony was missing. I knew Little A is also a Pony fan so I questioned her.
Little A has gotten very good at lying and I can't always trust her answers. Yet, I would hate to accuse of her something she didn't do. Ah, those difficult parenting moments! She looked at me straight in the eye and told me she did not get the Pony stuff out. I didn't believe her. And I also wondered if she had an accomplice. So I asked my niece. She also said she didn't touch it.
Hmmmm, what to do. Well, maybe the mother of my niece could see if she was lying. So, my sister went and talked to her daughter about the incident. As Little A watched her cousin get in trouble for something she knew she didn't do, Little A began to cry...and confessed. I let my sister know that her daughter was safe and took Little A to my room for punishment.
Her decision to play with the Pony set without permission affected more people than she would have thought. I'm sure she didn't even consider how this decision would affect anyone but her sister, if she even thought of her. Little A just wanted to play with that Pony set.
Her decision led to a missing pony, lying to me, K, and her aunt, and getting her cousin in trouble. One decision.
If we really sat down and considered how each decision we make would affect multple people, would we still make the wrong choice? Obviously, some decisions must be made quickly and thinking through the consequences just isn't possible. Even those choices we face when we have plenty of time, we can't see every possible outcome.
That's the beauty of hindsight. In retrospect, I wish I had just driven around the block instead of trying to get there at the moment I was passing it. I'm sure Little A wishes she had simply asked her sister if she could play with the Pony set. (The pony was found, in case you were worried).
All of this makes me think of Adam, the first man created by God. And let's not forget Eve who was actually the first person to eat the forbidden fruit. But, Adam, knowing God had said not to eat, chose to eat. Do you think that if he considered the consequences of this decision that he would have said no to Eve? Adam's one decision led to every single person after him to be born with the natural habit of sinning. Everyone.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.
It doesn't matter who you are, what you do, where you live, you are a sinner. I am a sinner! It is natural for us to choose our own selfish desires instead of what God has for us. Because of that, we are separated from God. God used to walk in the garden with Adam and Eve. They were perfect, sinless, had everything they needed and more. But Eve fell for the serpent's lies and was deceived into eating the fruit God said not to eat. When they sinned, God could no longer dwell with them. God, who is perfect, righteous, and just, could not be in the presence of sin. He was forced to remove them from the garden and punish them.
But, removing them and punishing them didn't solve the problem of sin. Sin was here to stay. Every baby born from Cain until now and in the future is born a sinner. There is no escape from that fact. Sin separates us from God because He cannot be with sin.
God already had a plan to save us, though. He does not want anyone to perish so He set things in motion to bring a Savior, One Who would be perfect, sinless, to take the full punishment for all the sin in the world. At the right time, God's Son, Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to earth to fulfill that need. He is the Savior.
All the sacrifices required throughout the Old Testament pointed to the One sacrifice that completed the payment. Sin requires blood sacrifice and the only blood pure enough was God's Son.
There is absolutely nothing we can do to get rid of our own sin. Good cannot outweigh the bad. There is no such thing as being "good enough." One sin keeps us from entering heaven and dwelling with God forever. But God loves us so much that He chose to sacrifice His own Son so that if we choose to accept His death as payment for our sins, we would be forgiven of all sin and be allowed to enter heaven.
Adam's one decision affected the entire human race. God's decision made it possible for our sins to be washed away. Now, it's up to you. How will you decide to react? This one decision will affect your own eternity. You can accept the fact that you are a sinner and Jesus died for your sins, personally. That is what I have decided to do. Do I still sin? Yes. Am I perfect? Not even close. But my sin is forgiven and I am promised a home in heaven.
Or, you can choose to believe your own path. Walk away from the Truth and ignore His warnings in the Bible.
There's only one way to heaven.
Every decision has consequences. What is your decision?
