Choices.
Are you aware of just how many choices you make in one day? You choose what to eat for breakfast, what outfit to wear that day, who to talk to, what to do in your free time, how you spend your money, or even sometimes, how you spend your whole day.
A choice is something that many of us have but many of us don’t understand the true value of. We don’t ever understand how much freedom there is in choice, until of course, that choice is take away from us.
The choices we make reflect the nature of our heart. Choices reflect what we believe and what we place value in. Sure we all make mistakes and often times we make bad choices. But Proverbs states that are heart is what all other things flow from, such as the decisions we make, so therefore our choices reflect our character.
On the race, you meet many people who make vastly different choices. Some people make good decisions, others make poor decisions, and many have their decisions taken away from them. Then, you meet people that are given choices that don’t even come close to their worth. Choices that aren’t equivalent to their value.
I’ve come across one of these people. Good ol’ Shammz. Shammon is a 24 year old Malaysian/Indian guy who is apart of our church family. He also happens to be one of our team’s best friends. Shammz makes us laugh, invites us to his house to eat food, goes bowling with us, takes us to waterfalls, and just hangs out with us. He is the cousin of our ministry contact and has taught me so much in the 3 weeks that I have known him.
This is because Shammz made a choice. Straight out of high school, he sought out higher education to create a better life for himself. With great grades and only two semesters left to graduate college with a degree, he was faced with a decision.
Two of his younger siblings had graduated and desired to also go to college. College however costs money, and Shammz’s dad couldn’t afford to send all 3 of his children to school. Knowing that he could get a job in the Malaysian armed forces, Shammon dropped out of a university to work and earn money to help his dad pay off the 12,000 ringgit loan that he took out to send his other two kids to college.
Shammz lives 10 hours away from his family. He works in the armed forces where out of the 28 men in his squad, he is the only Indian, and the only christian. He chose to move away from all of his family and friends to live a life that does not make him happy so that his family could have a chance at a better life. And everyday he thanks God that he atleast has a secure job and a dependable source of income.
Shammz has an incredible heart. A heart that loves and sacrifices for the people around him. All he was given were crappy choices from a culture that is filled with financial struggles and spiritual depravity. And all he could do was make the best choice out of the ones he was given.
Shammon is worth so much more than his culture will ever be able to offer him. He is a man of God with strong character and loving heart. Shammz taught me that who you are is more important than what you’re doing, He taught me that you make the best choices you can in life and be thankful for what God has given you. Ultimately, Shammon taught me that we are all worth so much more than this world has to offer.
