Measure The Cost

Have you ever made a quick decision that eneded up costing a lot more than you could have imagined?
On Friday my mom called to tell me that my USA cell phone bill had arrived - (we had our mail forwarded to her address) - she said that she would open it to make sure that all was well and would even pay it if necessary. Well, she called me back about 5 min later to tell me that the bill was over $500! What! NO WAY! It was supposed to be like $39 plus taxes - somewhere less than $50. I was sure that it could not be correct.
Yesterday we were in Tegucigalpa to work in the warehouse and take care of other biz and Terri was able to use the internet phone at the Mi Esperanza house to call ATT or Cingular or whoever our bill came from. They told her that my phone was used in Honduras on October 1, 2, & 3. I said - there you go! We were in Copan at language school and I didn't even have my USA phone with us. It was in my house where Luis was keeping Skillet - oooooooooo, that's the answer isn't it. My phone was with Luis! I called my 19 year old friend and told him that I needed him to be 100% honest with me and asked, "Luis, when I was in Copan, did you use my cell phone?" I already kned what the answer was going to be and he answered honestly "Yes, why?"
The answer that his phone calls were over $400 was a shock to say the least. He was speechless and immediately volunteered that he has over $100 saved and would give that to help now. We have agreed that Luis can work the cost of the mistake off and I am confident that he will.
All this got me to thinking about the cost of so many of our decisions - some good and many bad. I don't need to list the cost of many of the simple quick decisions that can end up bad we know what they are. On the other side of the coin - I wonder if we were given a view of the cost of our good decisions if we would go in the same direction? I know that our hindsight tells us weather or not we made good moves but, if we could see into the future when we made even a good decision - would we make the same call?
When people decide to become parents - they can't look ahead and see many of the things that will happen to make you second guess that decision - like the teen years. If they could - would they make the same decision?
When Jesus asked the guys on a boat to come with him and become fishers of men - would they have gone if they knew that they would suffer and die for the cause of Jesus? I know that they were more than willing at the end to die for Jesus but - would the answer have been the same in the beginning? I don't know?
If I could have looked ahead when I decided to make a "short term" mission trip to Honuras and seen that Terri & I would be living here - would I have still gone on the first trip?
The answer to all of these questions is impossible to know - but I do know this - parents of teens would never send them back - even on the toughest day, the apostles were more than willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus, and I have the best job in the world.
Terri and I are so blessed to be here - even on the days when we are frustrated with some of the day to day things that are different than the good ol' USA. (like trying to get a drivers license yesterday - I had the "shortcut" plan and still saw 14 people and spent 3 hours)
All is well here. We have our own bed now. I have my comfortable sofa and Terri has her pillow.
Be a blessing to somebody TODAY.
Marc