Commitment can be a good thing…when we’re committed to the right thing. But how often do we make a decision without fully weighing the cost? How often do we say “yes,” when we want to say “no”?

I’ve been guilty of it myself.

When I sat down to write my latest novel, Deadly Commitment, I wanted to write about how we sometimes make decisions without thinking them through. Maybe it’s a monetary commitment. Or a spur-of-the-moment decision to leave our job or drop out of school. It could even be the decision to marry the wrong person. We may think, “If it doesn’t work out, I’ll get a divorce…” “Or, sell the house…” “Or, go back to school.”

Sometimes, a hastily made decision works out. But many times, it leads to regret. And there are even times it can be deadly. I wanted to explore that idea, taken to the extreme, in my book. And, when I did, a suspense plot was born.

Fortunately for most of us, one bad decision—or several in a row—doesn’t mean we can’t start over. Jesus tells us that we should forgive each other seventy times seven, just as our Heavenly Father forgives us.

Thank God for second chances. That theme has played an important role in my life, and in my writing. No matter what mistakes we’ve made, it’s never too late to change courses. Our past doesn’t have to hold us captive. We are given daily, moment-by-moment opportunities to turn around, turn in a new direction, and recommit—to the right thing.

Kathy Harris

Deadly Commitment by Kathy Harris

Kathy Harris is an author by way of a “divine detour” into the Nashville entertainment business where she works as a marketing director. For several years, she freelanced entertainer biographies and wrote, as well as ghost-wrote, news stories and columns for various music publications. She sold her first Christian nonfiction story in 2007. Her debut novel released in 2012. And her new novel, Deadly Commitment, releases today.