Believe It

The ability to make choices is one of the most powerful gifts God has given you. Think of how wonderful it is that you have the freedom to choose the direction you want your life to take. You have the ability to shape your future now, so if you want to experience success rather than failure, youve got to make choices that support that goal.

A man named William once told me about a choice he made when he was in his mid-20s. Hed been in the Navy, where he enjoyed being a dental technician, and he returned to civilian life to attend college on the GI Bill. When the time came to make a decision about his career, William had two job offers: The first, a delivery-truck driver, paid well, had impressive benefits, and promised promotions; the second opportunity involved a fledgling occupation no one had yet heard about, something called emergency medical technician (EMT). It didnt pay well, and there was a high possibility that the general public would never accept or respect it. Up to that point, ambulance drivers (as they had been called) were untrainedthey simply threw injured people into station wagons and raced to the hospital.

William knew that money and promotions werent his lifelong goals. Instead, his enjoyment came from being around medical personnel and helping othersin fact, he got chills at the prospect of saving lives and ministering to the injured. In the end, William became an EMT and later gained certification as a paramedic. He often delivered babies (although he never delivered packages), and he lived a gratifying life. He chose the right path for himself.