Whenever I buy a purse, I feel like I am very unsure what I need. I usually think I have an idea what I want in this new purchase, but until it is bought and used for awhile I can not be sure I made the right choice.
When I was younger I liked little tiny purses that were cute and sweet and easy to carry. When I got married and was asked to carry things for my husband (“here, can you throw my sunglasses in there?”) and then my son, I needed a bigger bag.
Eventually I got older and the bigger bags were hurting my shoulders so I went back to a smaller bag. As I got even older I realized that I needed reading glasses and my ID and insurance card as well as a notepad, etc., etc. so finding the right amount of space that was still not too heavy or bulky became quite the quest.
Things would look great when I made the purchase but a few days or weeks in I would realize that once again my shoulders were hurting so it must weigh just a smidge too much. Or I would realize that every time I pulled out my wallet it was like a jigsaw puzzle to put everything back in the tiny purse. Or the bright fuchsia color that captivated me in the store really didn’t go with anything in my wardrobe.
Watching an excited young couple make large decisions has made me realize how often in life we are faced with decisions that are reminiscent of buying a purse. You think you know what you want and then something totally unexpected captures your heart and you have to hope that once you have lived with the choice for awhile, it fits into your life.
Finding a home, a spouse, a job, almost anything means taking a leap of faith that what you have chosen will work for your life. That everything will work out, be comfortable, fit your needs, not strain your budget, your patience, your sanity.
Every step you take seems like a step off of a cliff and yet for the most part there is ground in the shape of your family, your friends and God to make a solid place for you to walk.
One of the best things a perspective employer once told me, and luckily I was going to work at a church so it was very sound advice, was that God works with our mistakes even if we make the wrong choices sometimes. Remembering that has helped me to make decisions with more assurance that once I have done the research, the homework, I can make an educated decision knowing that God will be the final piece of the puzzle that I can’t see all of from my perspective.
I also know that very seldom in life do you make a decision that can’t be altered or changed. Sure, it might be difficult or even expensive to fix a mistake, but when you move away usually they don’t lock the gate behind you and you can come back. If you make a bad job decision you can look for another job. If you buy a house that isn’t the right fit, you can live with it a couple of years and then try again.
Learning from our mistakes means we can make a better, more educated decision the next time. Just know that no decision should be based on money alone. Your time, your happiness and your family are much more important in the big scheme of things. Peace and sanity will make for a much better life than a few extra dollars in the old bank account.
If the purse doesn’t fit, you cuss yourself and you make it work until such time as you can save up for another one. You figure where you went wrong last time and you try to make a better choice the next time. And although the fuchsia bag didn’t work, you can’t take the wild card factor that you loved the spontaneity and the way the color made you feel completely out of your life.
Our choices don’t always make sense. My house has only two closets and has issues that go back to the 70’s, but it is my house and I love it and its quirkiness. My husband Tim and I differ on many subjects, but I love him and his quirkiness. My fuchsia purse is still in my closet and sometimes I just pull it out and carry it because it makes me smile.
Sometimes a smile and a bright pop of color is all you need to get through the day.
Sometimes you don’t know until you know whether something is right for you. Sometimes you make a mistake. Sometimes you take a chance and because of it life is more wonderful than you could have ever imagined.
All it takes is courage and some faith.
