Choosing

…’You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.’ Isaiah 41:9

I love choices; I don’t need a lot of choices but having more than one option is a very good thing!  I love cookies but if I have the choice between a cookie or a piece of Carrot Cake that’s a simple choice…both are great but clearly the Carrot Cake wins every time!  Last week I had a God thump that made me think of choices in a new light.

While I was at mass recently I had the opportunity to help the little guy next to me find the right page in the song book.  Once we found it, he wanted me to point to the words as we sang.  The song was a familiar favorite.  Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the little one next to me, I wouldn’t have even had to pick up the book.  God had a plan!  My favorite lines from this song are, “my hearts one desire is to be holy, set apart for You Lord, I want to be holy, ready to do your will’  great words right.  I’ve belted them out just like that dozens of times but Friday as I pointed to each word with my fingers for my buddy, God thumped me as I read not “I want to be holy” but “I CHOOSE to be holy.”  That one word made a huge difference.

The difference between want and choose is action, responsibility and work.  I can want to be holier or thinner or more prayerful and patient. I can want all I want and it just remains a wish or a dream.  If I choose to be those things, that means I have to do something about it.  It reminded me of something my mom used to say when we whined about something being hard or not going our way.  She would say, “Well child, why don’t you wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets full faster.  Nothing gets done until you get busy.”  

The ultimate goal of the Lenten Season is to help us grow in holiness.  The big question I’ve been pondering and praying about is; do I want to grow in holiness or do I choose to grow in holiness?   If I just want it, I can guarantee I will sit in church on Good Friday weeping because I’m in the same place I was on Ash Wednesday.  If I want things to be different I have to choose to make them different.  I have to take action and not just wish for change.  That puts a different light on things.  It takes away the try and replaces it with a do.  I don’t know about you but my Lent can use more DOING and CHOOSING!  I’m not quite sure what he’s leading me to on this years Lenten Journey but I do know I will have to make some choices and I’m pretty sure they won’t be as easy as Carrot Cake over cookies!  Lord, help me see and choose!

A Seed To Plant:  Make a list of the things that get in the way of your holiness.  Now circle a few and pray over them the next few days asking God to help you CHOOSE the ones he wants to help you tackle this Lent.

Blessings on your day!