Another character that’s been on my mind of late is Ruby Josen from Move and Obsidian. There’s no secret why this is: Move takes place in the spring, and Ruby is similar to Jana Lanning from Anywhere But Here in that she’s down on her luck. The difference is the circumstances. Jana did everything right and still couldn’t seem to catch a break, while Ruby passed up opportunities because she feared change. The theme for Jana was patience and endurance through tough times. The theme with Ruby is dealing with the consequences of your decisions.
I’ve talked a lot about change in this blog, but the thing that struck me later (and even inspired Obsidian) is the importance of understanding, accepting, and working with the consequences of your decisions. There are always consequences, for better or for worse – we just call it “rewards” when the consequences turn out in our favor, because it has a better connotation. But a reward for right decisions is as much a consequence as punishment is for bad decisions. For some reason, we choose to see it differently depending on the situation. And sometimes those consequences, for better or for worse, have more far reaching implications than we can fathom.
My Bible reading of late has been on King David. Specifically, it’s the aftermath of his affair with Bathsheeba, which ran through the rest of his life as he was constantly challenged from within and without. This is often the case with us, but we don’t realize how a decision we made 5 or 10 years ago is still impacting our life. But “the butterfly effect” is very real, and can rewrite our lives in ways we could never imagine. I think about Ruby, and how her life was irrevocably changed by her refusal to accept change. Eventually, it became inevitable, and she wound out pushed on a path chosen for her by others. She turned it her way, but how much different (and less dramatic) would her life had been if she had accepted the marriage proposal from her last boyfriend? Or accepted the work transfer and gone back to school after her mother died? Or moved to Atlanta with her father and step-mother? Or accepted that second offer for a work transfer when things went south with her boss? Or walked away from Bryce instead of listening to him at that festival?
I don’t want to give away the plot of Move, but all of these questions led to everything that happens in Obsidian as Ruby realizes that if she really wants to move on with her life, then she must deal with the consequences of her past mistakes properly and fully, until all of them are brought to their right end.
Sometimes, you can’t go back. And really, that’s the proper way of the world. Doors open and doors close, and that’s how life is supposed to be. We don’t want every eventuality to remain perpetually open, because that’s not right or proper, and would overwhelm us with things that don’t fit where we are or where we need to go in life. There are times when it’s necessary and right to change course. There are times when the change comes to us, and resisting it can damage our first steps into a wonderful, unexpected opportunity. There are times when it’s ok to stay put and decline an offer. But you always have to deal with the consequences of those actions, and how they rewrite your life, for better or for worse, for the rest of your days. The important thing is to make sure those paths diverge in a way that moves you forward, helps you grow, and makes your life better. That’s why discernment is a critical life skill that all of us should master if we really want to be the master of our lives.
It’s something to think about …
That’s all for today. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
I’ve talked a lot about change in this blog, but the thing that struck me later (and even inspired Obsidian) is the importance of understanding, accepting, and working with the consequences of your decisions. There are always consequences, for better or for worse – we just call it “rewards” when the consequences turn out in our favor, because it has a better connotation. But a reward for right decisions is as much a consequence as punishment is for bad decisions. For some reason, we choose to see it differently depending on the situation. And sometimes those consequences, for better or for worse, have more far reaching implications than we can fathom.
My Bible reading of late has been on King David. Specifically, it’s the aftermath of his affair with Bathsheeba, which ran through the rest of his life as he was constantly challenged from within and without. This is often the case with us, but we don’t realize how a decision we made 5 or 10 years ago is still impacting our life. But “the butterfly effect” is very real, and can rewrite our lives in ways we could never imagine. I think about Ruby, and how her life was irrevocably changed by her refusal to accept change. Eventually, it became inevitable, and she wound out pushed on a path chosen for her by others. She turned it her way, but how much different (and less dramatic) would her life had been if she had accepted the marriage proposal from her last boyfriend? Or accepted the work transfer and gone back to school after her mother died? Or moved to Atlanta with her father and step-mother? Or accepted that second offer for a work transfer when things went south with her boss? Or walked away from Bryce instead of listening to him at that festival?
I don’t want to give away the plot of Move, but all of these questions led to everything that happens in Obsidian as Ruby realizes that if she really wants to move on with her life, then she must deal with the consequences of her past mistakes properly and fully, until all of them are brought to their right end.
Sometimes, you can’t go back. And really, that’s the proper way of the world. Doors open and doors close, and that’s how life is supposed to be. We don’t want every eventuality to remain perpetually open, because that’s not right or proper, and would overwhelm us with things that don’t fit where we are or where we need to go in life. There are times when it’s necessary and right to change course. There are times when the change comes to us, and resisting it can damage our first steps into a wonderful, unexpected opportunity. There are times when it’s ok to stay put and decline an offer. But you always have to deal with the consequences of those actions, and how they rewrite your life, for better or for worse, for the rest of your days. The important thing is to make sure those paths diverge in a way that moves you forward, helps you grow, and makes your life better. That’s why discernment is a critical life skill that all of us should master if we really want to be the master of our lives.
It’s something to think about …
That’s all for today. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
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