Robert Frost’s most famous poem begins with these inviting lines:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler…
The poet reminds us that we are faced with choices every day, and sometimes one choice looks just as good as the other. In fact, Frost goes out of his way to say that these two infamous roads were pretty equal. In the end, he chooses one simply because it looked “less traveled” and saved the other one for another day. Sometimes there’s no right or wrong path, just a decision about which one to travel down on any given day. On the other hand, sometimes paths matter very much.
The truth is, we are faced with decisions day in and day out. Often these choices seem insignificant or of no real concern. One road or the other, who cares? But, in fact, these daily choices define us, especially as they relate to our moral lives and to the ways we relate to one another. The little things matter — every twist and turn in our life’s road, every time we reach out to help (or not reach out and help) someone in need— and they add up to much bigger things. Our lives of prayer, reflection and service guide these decisions and keep us in tune with God and God’s will for our lives. Everyday we have the opportunity to say “yes” to God, to turn and face the way of love. Or as another naturalist poet and writer, Annie Dillard, once wrote: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Ask yourself in silence: How do I live my days? Am I aware of all the choices I make or fail to make every day?
2 comments On Today’s Word: Decisions
Something I needed to hear today. Thanks.
Just wanted to tell you, I’ve saved this reflection and am reading it daily. It is your best yet and gives me pause to think about what I am doing or not doing every day, every day, every day.