Some things can't be determined strictly by thought and these are things that usually involve some level of risk.
I will share an example from my personal experience. I was seriously considering going on a mission trip that would have taken place this week. However, every time I began to move forward to confirm my attendance, I felt something stopping me. There were a few logistical considerations but I felt that these could be worked out. I considered the possibility that I was simply fearful, at least on some level. However, once I thought through and confronted any concerns, I was able to easily lay them aside. But I still felt something was telling me not to go. I ended up deciding not to go on this trip.
Back of Cheyenne's head. She is sitting in my lap (something she rarely does) anxiously watching for roof repair men to come crashing through into the living room
Fast forward to this week. It turns out that this is the week that the roof of my building and all adjacent buildings are being re-done. There was no notice from building management that this would be taking place and I awakened first thing last Saturday morning to the very loud sound of shingles being ripped and thrown off the side of a nearby apartment. This work has gone on every day since. My very sensitive dog, Cheyenne, has had an extremely difficult time this week with all of the noise.
I have needed to take certain steps to try to keep Cheyenne calm (look for tips on this in a future blog). Had I gone on this trip, friends who would have been coming in and out to take care of Cheyenne and my cats would not have had the time to spend to help Cheyenne feel more safe and secure. I know that me not being here would have added to Cheyenne's stress level to the point where I believe it would have become unhealthy.
I felt that investing in this trip, on many levels, was such an important decision that I needed to pray, wait and listen. The answer did not come right away. I had to tell myself repeadedly that I still needed to wait until I really felt that God was giving me final word to go or not to go. I will admit that I still had some doubt that I had made the right decision once I did determine that I was not going to particpate in this trip.
Patience is often required when we need to make a decision on behalf of our animals. I was recently provided with some supplement options for my cat, TirNa. One option felt stronger or more "warm," intuitively, to me. However, I have learned that my own emotional involvement means that I sometimes need to take a step back and wait. This was not a major issue but I could tell that I was feeling like I needed to make sure she was getting the right support or it could result in problems down the road. I ended up going with my initial gut feeling but I felt more at peace with my decision when it was not made in haste.
Sometimes we do not have total peace about what decision to make. This may be due to anxiety or lack of trust that we will be taken care of. When we have the time to do so, giving ourselves the space to see if a decision not only makes logical sense but also feels "right" often allows us to make a better decision.
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