There Are Always Alternatives

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. — Proverbs 24:16 NIV

The best boss I ever had, Randy, had a saying that gave his staff great confidence: “There are always alternatives. "The full version of his saying was, "We may not like the alternatives. But there are always alternatives.”

I witnessed Randy use this phrase in problem-solving. He came up with creative ways to address situations. Sometimes, we on his staff would tell him, “That’s not a great idea.” Randy knew it wasn’t a perfect idea. But given the choices, he would see it through, and his team would have to admit his solution worked better than the alternatives.

I worked for Randy forty years ago, but have since applied this thinking throughout my life. Not only has this phrase led to creative solutions, but it has also fostered resilience. Even when I have faced failure, I've learned to trust that God would open other doors and provide new opportunities.

GOD’S GPS

God builds the same resilience into the righteous who follow divine ways. People think God has only one plan for their lives, and the question is whether we can find that mysterious plan and stick with it. I believe God is more flexible than that; after all, our Father gave us free will, which becomes the rerouting of God’s GPS. But our heavenly guide still intends to get us to the right destination, even if the path takes twists and turns.

My longtime pastor used to teach that God can work with our choices as long as we are abiding by God’s ways. We may not make perfectly aligned decisions, but as long as we remain faithful and in communion, the Lord can lead us to the intended destination. As Job 42:2 (NIV) reads, “I know you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

THE ADOPTION TRAIL

Here’s an example from my life. My wife, Sara, and I added to our family of two boys by adopting a girl from China. The process included several setbacks; most notably, after spending months collecting and authenticating the paperwork, we discovered the instructions were wrong. We had missed a step and had to redo the entire paperwork process.

We wound up preparing the paperwork three times before it was pristine. But we believed God had a destination in mind to match us with the right daughter. Even though we had fallen twice, we trusted that every setback would be used for God’s ultimate purpose.

Nearly two years from the moment we committed to adoption, we traveled to China with our sons to adopt Rebecca. That’s when we discovered Rebecca experienced abandonment the same month our hearts had moved us to adopt. We believe that, in her moment of need and in our willingness to adopt, God’s purpose in connecting us with Rebecca was never hindered or delayed.

Imagine all the steps unknown to us, all the believers and non-believers in positions of decision and authority, all the stacks of paper in a massive Chinese government adoption machine. Yet God leveraged every necessary alternative to bring Rebecca into our family.

COMMUNITY RESILIENCY

Our Creator has given us another tool that generates alternatives and resilience. The community of believers provides love, support, and ideas. When the righteous fall, a group picks them up and sets them on their feet again. In a community, we draw on the experience and wisdom of others. They may identify options we never considered on our own. Fellow believers may even lend their time, resources, or connections, all while loving us as fully as they can. Alternatives abound!

“There are always alternatives.” That was my manager’s way. I believe that’s also our Father’s way, and it makes us unstoppable when we have fallen again and again.

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 Prayer: O God, we can give up so easily when faced with difficulty. But you are always the God of options. We sing and believe you are the Way-maker, and the resilient righteous can find the way when we rely on your guidance. When we get off track, show us the next steps on the path to your ultimate destination. Fortify our belief in you, our trust in the resilient community around us, and in ourselves as those who cannot be stopped. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you believe, deep down, that there are always alternatives? Can you try to find them when you have stumbled, been delayed, or received a setback? How can you turn to God for help in rerouting? What community uplifts you in times of need? How can you have faith in yourself to identify and pursue alternatives? See yourself, with the support of God and your neighbor, as resilient and unstoppable.