Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What's the Difference?

What’s the Difference?


The easy things in life are usually our favorite: that class that just comes to us without effort, those friends we can just be ourselves around, the questions on a test we answer first. It seems there are so many things in life that require so much effort. So when we find the things that are simple, we often turn to them first and make excuses why we can’t possibly do the rest today.


When I was in kindergarten, my parents helped teach a teenage youth group. I got to tag along and loved being around the much cooler and much wiser big kids. A memory from their conversations always sticks out in my mind. They were joking about the three answers that could answer any question about church- Jesus, God, and the Bible. Let me give you an example.

What was the story in the sermon about today? - Jesus.

Where was the story from? - The Bible.

What did Jesus do in the story? - Talked about God.

What about God?- That He sent Jesus.

Why did He send Jesus? - Se we would know God.

How do we know God? - Read the Bible.

See what I mean?



These answers are easy. They require no thought, no work. Many times I find myself trying to slide by with these easy answers and “good enough.” A quote that continually pops up in my life is “Two roads diverged in the woods and I took the road less traveled and that has made all the difference.” I have not always taken the road less traveled. Many instances have come when I went along with the crowd and shouldn’t have, when I took the easy way out.


At the end of my freshman year I was elected as chapter sentinel. FFA was still pretty new to me and the other officers on the team all seemed so much older. They all seemed like they knew what they were doing. I wasn’t sure what I could contribute to the team. I felt that my ideas would be stupid compared to theirs and that there was no way I could possibly do anything for my chapter. I let the year slide by and was quiet as a mouse at officer meetings. I took the easy way out that year. I let my fear of my ideas being rejected and feeling stupid overcome my responsibility to help lead my FFA chapter that year.


Another time I took the easy way out was much longer lasting. My freshman year, I got involved in livestock judging. I loved it! I had very limited interaction with livestock before, and was fascinated to discover that not all cows were the same. I continued to livestock judge all through high school, and dreamed of one day being as good as “the boys.” “The boys” happened to be the star livestock judgers at Smith Center. As much as I aspired to be as good as them one day, it never happened. I worked at my judging skills, but only half heartedly, always intimidated by their superior knowledge. I took the easy way out by creating excuses for myself. They had been around livestock their entire life. They showed at all the county fairs. They knew who all the judges were. I could never compete with that, I told myself. Instead of practicing harder, I took the easy way out. “The boys” went on to win the state contest and compete at nationals.

Doing what is easy and doing what is right are sometimes on opposite ends of the board. And often the consequences are much more drastic than not doing as well as we would have liked. Sometimes we end up with regret, sad circumstances, and hurt- for us and those we love. As we make decisions, it is important to think about why we are making them. Is it because our friends made that decision? Is it because we are tired and don’t want to think about it anymore? Is it because we think no one else will care?

Don’t be satisfied with excuses and “good enough.”


Are you being the best friend you can be?

Is that F on your report card really somebody else’s fault?

Are you really too busy to help do some grunt work for your chapter?

Is leading on that girl or boy really “being nice?”

Are you really applying all your strengths to the best of your ability?

Is this an honorable decision you will be proud to have made?


Expect honesty from yourself. Sometimes the lies we tell ourselves are the most hurtful of all.

Two roads diverged in the woods.

I took the one less traveled and that has

made all the difference.


Don’t let yourself be sucked into the norms of today’s society, where politicians can have affairs, celebrities can embezzle money, and we can always find an excuse. Let’s take the road less traveled- Let’s expect more of ourselves and never be satisfied with what is easy.

The path we choose with every decision

is what makes all the difference.