by Cindy Walker Burton

Let’s go for an educational swim and dive into philosophy. I promise you won’t drown! Philosophy is the study of basic ideas about knowledge, truth, right and wrong, religion, and the meaning of life. Let’s dive into the meaning of life. Some perspectives on the meaning of life include nihilism, supernaturalism, naturalism, subjectivism, and existentialism. Take a deep breath now. We’re going to swim slowly through the latter. Footnote: I do not adhere to nor advocate nor promote any particular one of these perspectives. I am only parting the waters and not attempting to make waves.

Now backstroke with me to the latter. Existentialism emphasizes that we are free to choose our own existence. “Life is the sum of all your choices,” said Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus. Choices are the hinges of destiny. The hinges of one door may have closed allowing another door to be opened. You chose to take the high road, the low road, the road less traveled or the road unraveled. You may have chosen the token road, the broken road, or the unspoken road. Regardless of the door or the road, you made a choice. You can exhale now. That was your introductory swim through existentialism.

Is the water getting too deep for you here? Don’t sink! A myriad of factors affect our choices. Here’s your lifeline. The ultimate resource is the Bible. Psalm 25:12 says, “. . . He will show them the way they should choose.”

Some choices I have made in life were unfavorable, disingenuous, and not in my best interest. I sunk because I didn’t choose God first. Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Swimmers, you know this cardinal rule: never swim alone. God is a lifesaver and an anchor. He’ll lead you beside the still waters and calm your soul. It’s your choice: sink or swim.