Choices

I remember my first morning in the Philippines. It was 4:30 in the morning, the roosters were all ready active and crowing. Stumbling into the bathroom to take a shower I was greeted with a single water knob. "'What is this?" I thought to myself. This situation was more than my introduction to cold water showers. It was the opening revelation to me of the reality of abundant choices we have as Americans. We are blessed to have more than an abundance of choices in almost every area of life here in the USA. Now, fifteen years later I am still wondering how anyone can stand to take cold water showers. And yet the majority of the world's population can not even conceive of hot water showers. And herein is part of the missing construct in most of the world.

Choices, or the lack of choices, have a profound affect on our ability to dream or to stay stagnant! And choices, or lack of choices, also spur our desire to change or inhibit one's motivation to move forward.

If a man finds himself in a room with two doors opening to the outside and he chooses the first door he will invariably begin to wonder about the possibilities which lie beyond the second door. His imagination becomes alive and active with the possibilities for more than a single outcome. That same man in a room with only one door finds it hard to imagine of any possibility other than the reality presented to him through the one door. His ability to dream is limited by lack of choices.

I think dreaming is a learned activity as much as it is an innate human trait. God gives us the ability to dream but it must be nurtured into maturity. And choices are one of the 'breeding grounds' for this nurturing of dreams. Thus, here in the USA , we find it easy to dream of other, bigger and better plans because we have choices available to us. This is one of the reasons we can say America is blessed. When our choices are lessened, one by one, as a people we lose our
ability to nurture our dreams. When this happens we begin our slide downward into the lower realm of lesser dreams and hopes.

Yes, freedom to hope. Freedom to dream. Freedom to be inspired. Much of it comes forth from the choices are have before us. As a nation we strive to preserve choices. In political verbiage we call them 'freedoms'. Without them we begin to dream little and aspire less.

Thank you, Lord, for the choices I have and the ability to dream. Amen

Blessings