By Danny Minton

It was December 23, 1962, and my dad and I had just watched the Dallas Texans and Houston Oilers come to a 17-17 stalemate at the end of four quarters of the AFC championship game. Houston had been down 17-0 at the half and came back with 17 second-half points to tie. There was a very strong wind in Jeppesen Stadium, making it difficult to kick and pass. In the overtime, Texans coach Hank Stram told Abner Haynes that if they won the toss, they should choose to defend the goal facing the clock. The Texans won the toss, and Haynes said, “We’ll kick to the clock.” By rule, once he said, “We’ll kick,” the other team got to choose the goal to defend. As a result, the Texans had to kick off into a strong wind. Fortunately for Haynes, the first overtime ended 0-0, and the Texans won in the second overtime 3-0.

In the early morning hours of February 3, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy Holly prepared to take off to the next town on his tour. The “Big Bopper,” J.P. Richardson, had the flu, and Waylon Jennings offered to give up his seat for Richardson. The other seat was to go to Tommy Allsup, but 17-year-old Ritchie Valens wanted to go instead. Tommy told Buddy that Ritchie had won a coin toss and that he would take his place. Ritchie is quoted as saying it was the first he had ever won. Shortly after takeoff at 12:55 a.m., the plane crashed, killing the pilot and all three Rock ‘n’ Roll stars.

In 1969, Penny Chenery and Ogden Phipps both wanted a colt that the prominent racehorse Gold Ruler sired. Two mares had been sent to breed, Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal. Phipps and stable owner “Bull” Hancock agreed that there would be a coin toss between Phipps and Chenery, and the winner would get the pick of the foal in 1969 and the loser the first in 1970.  Phipps won the toss and selected the filly from Hasty Matelda. The following year, Hasty Matelda was replaced with Cicada, who did not conceive, so Chenery would have to wait for her colt to be born from Somethingroyal. When the colt was born, the stable secretary submitted five names for the horse that the Jockey Club turned down. They finally accepted a name Elizabeth Ham picked for Penny Chenery’s new colt. They named him Secretariat.

Because of a coin toss, Portland, Oregon, is Portland and not Boston. The two owners of the land from the East wanted to name it after their hometowns, Portland, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts. Portland won. Because of a coin toss, Orville Wright was the first to make a manned flight. Wilber won the toss but crashed the plane, so the next try was the successful one by Orville.

Decisions by chance can be good when they work out well, but at the same time, they can end up in disappointment or disaster just as quickly. It’s always risky to make decisions based on nothing but luck and chance.

Good decision-making is made when people are adequately prepared. It takes studying an issue, looking at it from all sides, and carefully weighing the pros and cons to make a well-informed decision. Living a life for Christ not only takes these, but also the study of God’s Word and especially a time of prayer for wisdom and understanding.

Every day, our lives are filled with making decisions. Some are simple, requiring little thought and not carrying life-changing consequences no matter what is decided. However, many decisions can alter our lives, affecting our family, marriage, children, finances, health, or spiritual relationship with God.

It would be nice to have a coin toss to help decide at times. It would be nice not to go through hours and days of stress over essential things we must choose. It would be nice to feel comfortable flipping a coin and letting the coin decide that heads, you do this or tails, you do that. It would be easy, but of course, irresponsible, not knowing the outcome.

As followers of Christ, let us take time every day to pray to God for wisdom to make the right choices and decisions. Let us be the example by seeking God’s call for us through studying His Word. Through prayer and trust in God’s ability to lead us, the future will always be on the right track: His track.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:5-6

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ