Make Good Choices

And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” Ruth 2:22

It’s late winter in Minnesota and though we haven’t had a ton of snow, we’ve had our share of cold and ice, which means patients slipping, falling, and hitting their heads. When I see a patient for a concussion, I explain that while the brain is recovering, it’s vitally important that they not hit their head again. No, they didn’t plan on the first fall, but there are some things they should actively avoid to protect themselves. For instance, they should steer clear of icy sidewalks and they shouldn’t go ice fishing. No one plans to slip on the ice and hit their head, but with some healthy choices, one can significantly diminish the risk.

Make good choices. That’s the lesson of today’s passage. In the story, Ruth explained to Naomi, her mother-in-law, that as she’d been foraging grain, she’d encountered Boaz, who offered a secure environment in which she could work. Apparently, assault was a real threat, and so Naomi encouraged Ruth to remain in proximity to Boaz, for her own good. We don’t know why Ruth may have been tempted to wander, but Naomi implored her to, for her own safety, make wise choices.

I’ve thought about this a lot while raising my children. Daily, they’re faced with choices that can increase or decrease their risk of emotional, spiritual, or physical injury. With whom do they spend their time? On what kind of activities are they spending their energy? Are they daily investing in their relationship with God? I know (from experience unfortunately) that if they neglect their spiritual lives and spend their time with those who’re drinking, they’re going to put themselves in situations where they’re much more prone to be hurt. They’re not responsible for the bad behavior of others, but they can make choices that increase or decrease their own risk of injury.

The same is true for me. Am I making healthy choices today? Did I get up early to invest in my relationship with God? Or am I simply pursuing my own appetites? If I spend a lot of time on the ice, I may get better at it, but I’m also more likely to slip and fall. Likewise, if I sit in a bar, I’m more likely to drink. I like my new life of recovery though. I don’t ever want to go back to the life of addiction. So, today, I’ll get up early, point my life at God, and try to make healthy choices. Tomorrow, I think I’ll do the same.