Our island community is the sort of place that is easy to fall in love with. Frankly, most of us who live here fell in love with the island within hours of being on it, knowing almost immediately that it was where we wanted to be. But those unquantifiable feelings of having found our home are heavily influenced by emotional responses to the beauty and pace of island life, without much in the way of facts about what it means to live on a bridgeless island.
Some of the facts of life on a bridgeless island include a lack of conveniences and necessities. We don’t have doctors’ offices or urgent care facilities, which means dealing with health care issues requires lots of back and forth across the water. Yes, you can buy milk and eggs here, but real grocery shopping is a boat ride away. We do have arguably the best elementary school in the State, but the high school is on the mainland and after-school activities become logistically challenging. If you like going to the movies, bowling, or attending a show, you need to plan ahead, perhaps even to the extent of booking a hotel on the mainland. If you are accustomed to being able to get take-out from a variety of different restaurants pretty much any time you want, well, that is going to pose a challenge. And don’t forget the inconvenience of hurricane season and potential evacuations.
Those of us who have lived here for a long time can tell you about these facts of island living, but it is an entirely different thing for people to experience these truths for themselves. This is the reason why the best advice that we can give to someone who is thinking about moving here is that they rent for at least several months, if not a full year, before purchasing a home here. You see, the joyful emotions associated with vacations can easily cover over the challenges that become apparent to those who are living here, and the best solution is to be here long enough to also experience the inconveniences. Vacationers see all of the benefits, whereas residents have a deeper understanding of the costs. Only when you see the full equation to determine if your costs are less than the benefits will you be able to make an informed decision about living here. For those who have counted the cost and still decided that this is the place to be, life is quite good. Yet for those who jumped right in based on emotion instead of facts, there will be some who still decide to stay for the long-haul, but there will also be those who head back to the mainland with regrets. Perhaps even with bitterness, because learning about the costs can bring about an entirely opposite set of emotions.
Everything has a cost. In the house where I grew up, there was a sign that said “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Our happiness depends on understanding this simple axiom, so that we will strive to make informed decisions that incorporate both costs and benefits. This is a core truth for life that Jesus taught some 2,000 years ago. In Luke 14:28, Jesus asked: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” We can get caught up in the emotions of wanting and dreaming about a tower, but only when we sit down and look at the truth of what is involved will we be able to make an informed and wise decision.
Friends, whether you are facing choices about following Jesus, moving to a bridgeless island, or some other life issue, don’t make purely emotional choices devoid of underlying facts. There is always a cost, and we should factor in the emotions associated with those costs as well. Yes, emotions are part of our decision-making process, but ultimately we need truth to make the right choice. So, step back from the table for a moment and look at the equation to see if you have facts that represent both the benefits and the costs. Then, say a prayer for guidance, and make the wisest decision that you can. That should be a decision that you can rejoice in.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron