Choose Faith

A Few Degrees & The Power To Choose

I believe that faith is a choice. Putting faith into action is something I think we assume we will choose when the time comes to do so; however, unless we have prepared ourselves with a solid foundation, choosing faith can be more difficult than we realize. Everyday we are faced with choices. Sometimes a single choice can swing the pendulum of our lives in drastic directions; however, most of the time it is the small decisions that can amount to big course changes in our lives.

President Uchtdorf said, "The difference between happiness and misery...often comes down to an error of only a few degrees." He further stated that, "Small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring sorrowful consequences into our lives. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves." 

I have been thinking about the "few degrees" in our lives and their significance. It is not easy to see how small seemingly insignificant decisions can change the course of our lives. It is easy to rationalize small indiscretions. We can convince ourselves that because they seem so "minor", they can't possibly make that big of a difference. Elder Uchtdorf shared a story of a jet veering off course by only a few degrees, and due to that course change came to a tragic end. He said:

"In 1979 a large passenger jet with 257 people on board left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back. Unknown to the pilots, however, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error placed the aircraft 28 miles (45 km) to the east of where the pilots assumed they were. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better look at the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had placed them directly in the path of Mount Erebus, an active volcano that rises from the frozen landscape to a height of more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m).

As the pilots flew onward, the white of the snow and ice covering the volcano blended with the white of the clouds above, making it appear as though they were flying over flat ground. By the time the instruments sounded the warning that the ground was rising fast toward them, it was too late. The airplane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board.

It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error—a matter of only a few degrees."

My daughter, Hailey, plays competitive soccer--playing competitive soccer has become a matter of a few degrees for us. Competitive teams often play on Sunday. There are two teams with her age group--the Premier Team and the Nero team. The Premier team is considered to be the "best" team, while the Nero team is a step down. Because Hailey chooses to NOT play on Sunday, she has been placed on the Nero team. She has often expressed a desire to play with Premier--feeling that the higher level of play would help her overall abilities as a soccer player.

A few weeks ago she was invited to play in the State Cup with the Premier team--a desire she has had for a long time--however; in order to play, she had to commit to playing on Sunday. With no hesitation, she declined. Instead of playing in the state cup with the Premier Team, Hailey chose to play in the Directors Cup with the Nero team. Thinking that her struggle with Sunday play was behind her, she faced the Directors Cup with excitement; however, the Directors Cup proved to be another test on whether or not she would play on Sunday.

Hailey's Nero team usually has more than enough subs; however, due to injury, and Hailey's choice to not play on Sunday--her team had no subs for the Sunday tournament games. Normally, her team didn't question her decision about Sunday play; however, this time Hailey received many comments. Many of her teammates could not understand how she couldn't be there for them during the tournament. She had several girls beg her to make an exception. And although Hailey wanted to cave, she did not. On the way to church, she confessed that it was "so hard...so very hard to not play". She confessed that sometimes she wondered if it would make that much of a difference... I listened to her talk. We both cried a little. At end of our conversation, I asked her what gave her the strength to go to church rather than play the game she loved. Her response: "I have a testimony. I know that God wants me to go to church and place Him first. And I love Him more than soccer." She then pointed to the heavens and with a laugh in her voice said, "I hope He's watching." 

There are times when we wonder about the importance of her decision to not play on Sunday. Will it be the few degrees that can change the course of her life? In the end, we always agree that it will. As she trusts in God, and keeps His commandments, a change is and will continue happening in her heart. She is solidifying within herself to choose God over the world, and she is placing herself on a course for eternal happiness in the life to come. I believe that these small decisions or degrees--as Elder Utchdorf stated--will amount to making all the difference.