Weekly Reflection | The Impact of One Decision

Life consists of countless choices. Some seem significant—like selecting a career, starting a relationship, or relocating to a new city. Others appear minor at the time—such as accepting an invitation, beginning a new habit, or deciding to take a break instead of forging ahead.

Yet every choice, whether large or small, has an impact. Each decision sends out ripples that affect the future path, sometimes in ways we notice immediately, and other times in ways that remain unseen until much later. Life resembles a web of interconnected moments, woven by the choices we make and the opportunities that arise.

The challenge is that we don’t always recognize the ripple effect until we’re at a crossroads. We might look back and ask: Which decision brought me here? Was it the right one?

And sometimes, the path we find ourselves on isn’t the one we envisioned. Plans change. Detours emerge. Life redirects us. What seemed like progress one day might feel like a setback the next.

But what if those detours aren’t accidents? What if unexpected turns are actually invitations? Chances to grow, to discover, to notice something we might have otherwise overlooked.

If we knew the exact outcome of every decision, would we live differently? Perhaps. Yet often, the beauty of life lies not in the certainty of outcomes, but in the mystery of how one decision leads to another. Even when things don’t unfold as we imagined, the journey itself shapes us—teaching us resilience, patience, and clarity about what truly matters.

Maybe the destination isn’t as crucial as we think. Maybe what truly matters is remaining open to how God (or life, depending on your perspective) uses every decision, every turn, and even every misstep, to guide us closer to who we’re meant to become.

Because in the end, no choice is wasted. Each one has the power to shift us, shape us, and set us on a path we may never have anticipated—but needed all along.