making choices

I've been reflecting on matters of choice, and find that I have a conflict. I've been paying closer attention to two things in my life recently. One is my Pampered Chef business. Barely making ends meet from one month to the next, there are too many things on our to do list that require funding that must come from a supplemental source: PC. Repairing the lawnmower in the middle of summer is high on our priority list. The cost? $400. We could no doubt purchase a push mower for less than this, but we have a John Deere riding mower, the gift to me from a friend when she moved to Phoenix and determined she would no longer need it. It has served me well for 11 years, and when I had roughly an acre to mow, it was a godsend. Living with cardiomyopathy, heat is a danger to Ken's health, requiring a weakened heart muscle to pump harder than normal. Exertion in heat is a risk. No push mowers for us. PC are us!

The other thing to which  I am being attentive is my desire to be more effective in giving voice to gospel values. I don't mean preaching religion. I don't mean preaching Jesus Christ. I mean living the life to which I believe Jesus called us: loving God and our neighbor, honoring every individual, forgiving those who, wittingly or otherwise, cause us hurt or harm, serving those less fortunate than ourselves, advocating justice... You know, human stuff.

Along comes an opportunity via facebook for me to build relationships with PC customers. PC advises against political or other statements that might offend or send customers running away from the service I provide, or worse, from our products and our company. Okay. I tend not to be political on facebook anyway, but occasionally a "page" that I "like" reflects a point of view for all to see. A minor risk, perhaps.

But what happens if, when I'm at a party and customers begin to talk disparagingly about a person or group in a way that I find abhorrent? Do I speak up (tactfully, of course!)? At work I am definitely representing the company. Do I maintain silence so as not to hang a perception on this company I love, in a way that I have been advised not to participate?

What about my values? What about my faith? What about my conviction that, as Edmund Burke is noted for saying: all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing? (Evil is a bit strong here, but the question remains, however we might dilute the power and impact of that word.)  It is easy to say that there are other ways to make money, and perhaps if I am feeling that the constraints of company policy compromise my values, then its time to find other work. Easier said than done, not to mention that I really love PC, and we really need the money.

I suspect that, should these two priorities collide, I will find a way to face and address the moment appropriately. I do, after all, believe that the Holy Spirit empowers us with wisdom at times of significance. More than a belief, this has also been my experience. Just the same, the potential for this dilemma to come to fruition gives me pause to consider my choices, to reflect on what matters, and to weigh my options.

I would be glad to hear what you think.