At times we are placed in a quandary as to what we should do next. Should I stay in this job?, should I marry this woman?, should I buy a new car? Should I go to seminary? We can spend a great deal of time, emotion and “space” in our minds about decision making. Some are able to make decisions quickly and, seemingly, professionally. We are not all the same of course, and each of us comes to conclusions at different rates depending on our nature and our temperament.

But at a given point in time we must make those decisions, they cannot be put off any longer. And even things are mundane as what to eat, time to go to sleep or reading time as opposed to watching television or a film can and do take decisions, though not as life changing perhaps (but I will admit to reading some good books that changed my thinking and certain depictions of saints’ lives that changed me).

Our world is full of decision making and sometimes it appears the world is making the wrong ones. And perhaps people in government and religious organisations are not listening to the best advice. We decry the waste, the squandering of our taxes, the selfishness of world leaders. We see this most days in the reporting done by mainstream media. That same media appears often to have its own agenda and message and does not reflect a neutrality we would like to see in the reporting. It leaves us unable to make sound judgments, but rather a reaction to the perceived inaccuracies in the report.

This in turn leaves us to wonder where are we (collectively) going to? Is there an end to all of this chaos and confusion. Sadly there appears to be a limitless ability on the part of authorities to convince us that “their” truth is the “THE” truth. Truth becomes relative and we are then to chose whether to be convinced by them or to reject them. It is not possible to sit somewhere in the middle. And along with this version of the truth is then a quandary at times over a decision in voting or even listening to politicians and religious leaders or not.

“Prudence does not mean failing to accept responsibilities and postponing decisions; it means being committed to making… decisions after pondering responsibly the road to be taken.” Benedict XVI

Decisions are not always easy, but they can be made with at least a sense of doing what is right…if we have the Divine Will anchored in our lives. Begin with learning what this might be for each of us, and slowly apply it to our everyday decisions, and then into the larger decisions. In this way we are not overwhelmed.

“Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30,21