The park map was laid out with colored walkways. If you start on the red trail, it will lead you back to the parking lot. Start on the blue trail, and you will eventually have to get onto the green trail to get to the parking lot. A dozen trails, all color-coded for where each one would lead you. Every path had a predictable ending.

If only life were so easy. You start heading in one direction, and it is clear exactly where your life will end.

What if it was somewhat predictable?

Would it change our behavior if we knew what would happen if we made certain decisions?

If you knew where these paths led, would you still take them, or would you change?

Some things are clear. When you neglect your spouse emotionally and physically, you will eventually divorce. When a dad is not the leading influencer in his children’s lives, especially girls, they will have long-term issues with self-image. When you say one thing and do another, you lose credibility in the eyes of those around you. When you value everything else over your spiritual life, you will eventually abandon the faith.

Our lives are often quite predictable, which is why counseling and therapy work for so many. The problem is that most of us are convinced that if we are sincere in our efforts, the blue path will go wherever we want, not the one that is already marked out.