Where do we go from here seems to be the big question that weighs heavily on the minds of people these days. What will be our destiny they often lament. My friends, there is no better time than now, at the beginning of a New Year, for us individually and collectively to seriously consider the answer to this question. It is incumbent upon us to find the answer(s). The defining time is now. It is either we define the times or allow the times to define us.
A defining time is that pivotal moment in time that we can look back and say, without a doubt, “that one moment in our history has determined who we are today,” or “has changed our lives forever”. Throughout history, every human being, at some point in his or her life, has been faced with at least one pivotal life changing experience. Some would have even experienced a series of events that changed the course of their personal history forever. Those experiences are known as their defining moments. Defining moments are when a transformation or radical shift occurs inside you and you are never the same afterwards.
As human beings, we were designed to take action and because we value action, and loathe inactivity, we can determine the most powerful defining moments in our lives. That also holds true in the lives of every nation as well. The Bible is filled with countless examples of nations and people who had defining moments as well that changed their lives forever. These defining moments often set the course for the balance of their lives. Here are just a few examples:
For Moses, it was the burning bush.
For Peter, it was walking on water.
For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it was walking through the burning furnace.
For Paul, it was being blinded and spoken to by Jesus on the Damascus Road.
For Daniel, it was his deliverance from the lion’s den.
For Joshua, it was parting the Jordan River and crossing into the Promised Land.
For Queen Esther, it was her decision to go before the King.
For Job, it was being told to curse God and die.
For David, it was the decision to face Goliath.
For Moses, it was the decision to go to Pharaoh.
For the children of Israel, it was the decision as to whom they would serve.
For Pilot, it was the decision about what to do with Jesus.
For Ruth, it was making up her mind whether she would go with her mother-in-law back to Judah.
For Jonah, it was whether or not he would go to Nineveh.
For the children of Israel, it was whether to leave Egypt or not.
And for Jesus, the decision to be crucified to redeem the world.
They all had to make hard and serious decisions that would determine their future and the lives of their people. They had to make a choice! Those choices had dire consequences. Those decisions were their defining moments. We too have difficult decisions to make. So when a defining moment comes along, we need to define the moment or the moment will define us. Tomorrow is promised to no man. Tomorrow may be too late. All we have is the PRESENT: TODAY – NOW!
We must realize the power of the seemingly little decisions we make all day, each day. Decisions that happen in a blink of an eye carry with them the consequences that will shape our lives, determine our integrity and control our destiny. These snippets of time are our defining moments. What will you do? Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. Each one of us has the power to change our destiny. The choice is all ours. You are free to choose! We are free to choose! It may not seem important to you or to us right now, but as a people we will encounter many more of these choices as we journey on. We have to make the decision either to go forward, or to turn around. Let us not one day look back in regret!
Remember: “Doing nothing gets you nothing.” ~ Sean Reichle
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com.
