Hello My Chickadees,
Life is a series of choices. As Jean Nidetch stated, “It’s choice, not chance, that determines your destiny.” If January 6, 2021, did nothing else, it brought to light how divided we are as a people and a nation. What we believe governs how we see the world and what we do. What we believe is also a product of what we’ve been exposed to and what voice(s) we choose to listen to.
I began thinking about this after a wonderful gathering of colleagues and friends at my house for a pool potluck reunion. We were all gathered around the pool, and I noticed that one member of the group had separated himself on the opposite side from where the rest of our group was gathered. I did not think too much about it, but when the group began to thin out, the remaining guests gathered around a table at one corner of the pool area. I invited my friend who had separated himself, to come and join us, which he did. We all continued laughing and talking as we each gave our spin on life as we saw it. As the subject of vaccinations became the topic on the table, I naively ASSUMED that everyone had been vaccinated. Being passionate about the subject, I interjected my quandary about why people were refusing to take something that could probably save their life or the lives of people they love. It was at that point that my colleague who had separated himself announced to my surprise and chagrin, “I am not vaccinated.” A hush fell over the table and my head spun around like the girl who was possessed in the movie, “The Exorcist,” and before I could catch myself, the words flew out of my mouth, “YOU’RE NOT VACCINATED?”
Once the group recovered from the shock of what was said, everyone began inquiring as to the reason for his monumental decision because to us, getting vaccinated seemed elementary. He proceeded to express his distrust of the government and what ‘they say,’ and various reports he had researched from the Internet. I sat there trying to absorb and process what he was saying. Various guests around the table questioned him about what ultimately came down to his beliefs based on the voices he chose to listen to. Although what he said defied logic to me and sounded more like one of those conspiracy theories you hear about, I listened with compassion because he was resolute in what he believed and the position he had taken. It was clear to me that nothing that any of us could say, including his wife, was going to penetrate the wall of what he believed.
There are opposing theories about everything, and in the information age in which we live, we can find some documentation on the Internet to support whatever we choose to believe. But the age-old question is, ‘whose report will you believe?’ Most of you have probably heard the old joke about the man who was in a flood. For those who may be unfamiliar with the joke, I will share it with you now: The water had covered the first floor in the man’s house when a boat came by. ‘Jump in,’ they called out. ‘No,’ said the man, ‘God will save me.’ The water rose until the man was on the second floor, and another boat came by. They called out for the man to get in. ‘No,’ he said, ‘God will save me.’ The water rose higher until the man was on his roof. A helicopter came by and dropped a ladder. The man refused saying, ‘No, God will save me.’ The man drowned. When he got to heaven, he questioned God. ‘Why didn’t you save me?’ to which God replied, ‘I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What did you want?’
I was reminded of that joke because my thought was—what if the vaccine is the boat and the helicopter that God has sent to save us in this pandemic? God likes to use ordinary and unconventional means to do the extraordinary and miraculous. Who would have thought that making a replica of a poisonous snake and attaching it to the top of the pole would cure those who had been bitten by the snakes inflicted upon the disobedient Israelites in the desert? But according to Numbers 21:8-9, that is exactly what happened and what saved them.
Allow me to be clear here—I am not trying to tell anyone what to believe; what I am trying to do is call your attention to the fact that who you surround yourself with, and the information you listen to, influence what you believe. Whose report you believe could be a matter of life and death. The Bible tells us that in all things we should acknowledge God, and He will direct our path. Proverbs 3:6 specifically puts it this way, “seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
My Chickadees, I love to refer to the Bible as being like the Prego spaghetti sauce commercial, ‘everything we need is in there.’ It warns us that “there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Free will is a beautiful mixed blessing; with it we get to choose to believe and do what we want, but there are strings attached—they are called consequences. Let us all choose to consult God when choosing whose report we will believe.
Peace and Blessings My Chickadees,
Gail