When we focus on the forest all we see are tress. When we focus on the flower, we see the butterflies.
(Daejeon S. Korea, Picture Daniel S.)

Easy or hard. These are the two choices we get. The problem is that our definition of those two words are colored by our life experiences. What do I mean? Well, often times we will choose the easy way out because the consequences are less severe in the present. What we fail to realize is that down the road when the truth comes out the consequences become even more severe than the original crime (this is a ALWAYS truth). Let me give an example. I had a favorite winter coat, I also had a friend who really like my coat. She would admire it and always tell me how beautiful it was. One day I accidentally left my coat in the library of my school, when I went back to get it  it was gone. I went to a small private school everyone knew the coat was mine. Therefore, I was not worried about it getting returned. But two weeks later my coat still wasn’t back. I asked my friend (quite innocently) if she has seen it, to which she answered, “No.” I had no reason to not believe so I just chalked it up to carelessness on my part. A few months later a couple friends and I were visiting outside of school, when we happened upon my friend (who had left school due to family issues), there she stood in front of me..wearing my coat! It devastated me, not because she had my coat, but because she lied. When she had the chance to confess she didn’t and thus the consequences of her action were more severe later on (I will not be going into detail). The irony is that the year it went missing was my final year and I planned on giving her the jacket (I wouldn’t have needed it in Florida).  I understand why she didn’t confess: she did not want to look bad, didn’t want people to see her differently, and she did not want to lose a friendship. All of which happened. But the thing is had she confessed, we had the type of friendship where I would have forgiven. We have since worked out our issues and are friends once again. But it will never be the same, we have lost so much. Maybe we shouldn’t see the choices as easy or hard, instead we should view them as right or wrong. In the moment the right choice will more than likely always be the hardest and less attractive decision, but it is better to make a hard (right) choice now, than suffer harsher consequences later because we made the easy (wrong) choice.  Not sure why I felt the need to write this today…maybe someone needed to hear/read it. If that’s you make the RIGHT choice don’t settle for the easy one. Easy choices cause you to lose more than you gain.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

So what’s the plan? Right not easy.