As I pondered about what to write today, my mind kept going back to a teaching I was listening to in my studies this week. Not the whole teaching but the use of the word ”decide”. He explained it as de-side, or take away a side.

My mom taught me to love the dictionary. Every time I questioned her about a word she would reply, ”Look it up in the dictionary.” This often frustrated me, but I learned so much.

So does decide really mean de-side? The short answer is, yes. From the Latin decidere, de – off, and caedere – cut; to cut off. So to decide is different from choosing a side. It is removing unwanted options.

I’m being schooled in the path of seeing light and the Light, (Jesus), in all situations. That includes this pandemic that seems so overwhelming.

So what are my unwanted options? I could be fearful. I’ll cut that one off. I could worry about so many things. No thank you. I could sit around and be bored. Uh uh.

So that leaves me with some good choices. I can be hopeful. I can serve or pray for others. I can spend some quality time with God and my husband. I can learn something new. I can look at all the ways God is working light into this time we may consider dark.

While I was reading the Psalms today, I came across this verse that nearly shouted at me, ”Pick me, share me!” So I did and I am, here:

What will you decide? What can you cutaway that you don’t want in your life? There are too many good choices to let the unwanted ones overwhelm you.