Calculate the costs

                 “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, 

                                                          doesn't first sit down and figure the cost…?” Luke 14:28 msg

As I sit in the beautiful cabin surrounded by trees, visions of the *A.T. dance in my head. The thoughts have little to do with the cabin or even the trees, but rather the assistance I gave my husband today.

The place is Ponca State Park in northeast Nebraska. The spring event was outdoor cooking. At other state park events my husband has taught Dutch oven, foil, fuel stove, and about every kind of outdoor cooking. He says, “If you can cook in the kitchen, you can cook it outdoors.” For this event, they asked him to teach trail or backpack cooking and I assisted.

He presented cooking choices—stoves, pots, and food items. Overall backpacking is all about going lightweight but can become expensive. Every ounce matters. Every penny is counted.

The class was stupendous but it took me back to the poor choices we made on our first trek and the lessons we learned. I’d always understood the difference between wants and needs, but my overloaded pack taught me the difference between needs and essentials—how less is more when you make smarter choices.

I remember thinking, if I calculated life choices as backpackers choose what they are willing to carry on their shoulders, I wouldn’t put myself in so many difficult situations.

Most poor life decisions are selfish, impulsive ones; those without calculating the cost or consequences. On the trail poor choices can lead to an overweight pack, which make one miserable. In life, the weight of poor decisions can lead to depression, anxiety, and often times, more bad choices.

How do you make life’s decisions? Do you calculate the long-lasting costs or think in the now-impulsive world?

 

*A.T. means Appalachian Trail