It’s a sad day in my community. A funeral is being held today for a young man who was well known and loved by many people. His name is Scott Nye. He was 15 years old. Last Friday he was electrocuted after he climbed a power line tower. This hits close to home for me because that power line tower is within sight of the trail that I hike every morning. So is his home. I didn’t know him personally but many teenagers that I know knew him. He will be missed by many.
My message today is simple. Be careful of Snap Decisions.
What is a snap decision? It is simply one of those quick decisions we make without thinking. We make them all the time and for the most part things turn out okay. But I’m sure you can think of some snap decisions you have made in your life that you wish you hadn’t. I can think of several in my life that if I could go back in time I would certainly do things differently.
Because of a snap decision made by Scott, he is no longer with us. Now his family and friends grieve for his loss and struggle with trying to understand why these things happen.
It was almost exactly one year ago that another snap decision was made that affected our community. It was made by the girl next door. Her name is Julia Anderson. She is my daughter Kimberly’s best friend.
Julia and her friend Holly were crossing the highway that is directly behind our home. They were going to a volleyball game at the local church. The two crossed the southbound lanes safely and stopped on the raised median, waiting for traffic to clear. They saw a minivan coming and thought it was going to make a left turn. It wasn’t. As Julia stepped out onto the highway she was struck by the minivan. A simple snap decision and her life hung by a thread.
She suffered head injuries, two broken legs and a torn heart valve. She was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery to repair her heart. It has been a long year of recovery for her and I’m glad to report she is doing remarkably well today. Again, a snap decision with major consequences.
As we go about our lives, let us be aware of and be careful of the Snap Decisions we sometimes make. Stop and think it through. Think twice about what you are doing. What may seem like a small decision could have lifelong consequences for you or even cut your life short.
Master Yourself, Master Your Life
Thank you.
Copyright © 2008 Gary N. Larson


