Choices

Have you ever decided to paint a room, knew what color you wanted, went to the store to get your paint, then stood before the vast selection of shades in your chosen color and been completely at a loss as to which to select? Frustrating, right? You went into the store thinking you knew exactly what you wanted and came out with a variety of color samples to try on your walls before committing to a decision. One moment you were confident and certain and the next, you were confused and unable to complete your task. Alternatively, maybe you simply wanted to save time and get it done, so you grabbed a color you thought would be right, then got it on your walls and decided you couldn’t stand the choice you made.

How many times do we face that same uncertainty or even the repercussions of impulsive decisions made in our own lives? We head in a direction that seems certain only to find that making our decisions isn’t as easy as we’d thought it would be and we’re left frustrated by not being able to move forward as planned. We may then act on impulse and make a choice that ends up not being what we’d really wanted.  Sometimes, there are simply too many options. Any one of them would be good choices, but we’re left wondering which one is BEST?

Unlike the animals, we were created with a free will – the ability to choose. While there’s great freedom in that, tremendous responsibility comes along with that freedom. Our choices often affect those around us. This knowledge can be a catalyst for positive action or cause paralysis.

Recently, I’ve become very aware of my choices, especially in the area of how I’m feeling at a particular moment and how I’m responding to others. I’ve had opportunities to recognize that I could either be angry, frustrated or discouraged or I could choose joy instead. While this isn’t revelatory, it’s been freeing to remember that I really do have the power to choose and to set the course of the rest of my day based on that choice.

Whether I’ve been “set off” by my son’s bad mood, a decision made at my other son’s school, or poor communication between myself and another, I get to choose how I’ll respond and how I’ll let my response shape the next hours. Sometimes I’m better at making good choices than others. The great thing? If I don’t like the “color” I’ve chosen, I can choose a different color and repaint the walls, much as I had to do this week in the form of an apology to my son when I didn’t react well to his grumpiness. Those are the moments that become object lessons for us both as I model asking for forgiveness, he extends it and we move on choosing joy and transforming our days.

Sometimes we’re faced with much larger life decisions. Should we move? Should we change jobs? Which college is best for our child to attend? Should we take a particular risk and step off a ledge without knowing if there’s a net below? In those moments, we can sense the paralysis caused by the fear of making the wrong decision, especially if there’s more than one good option for us to consider.

Years ago, we heard a message that was life changing for us. In it, the pastor talked about this very issue of having more than one good choice set before us when making a major decision. We create our lists of pros and cons and all the while we’re trying to think ahead as we wonder what would happen if we make one decision over the other. How will that affect the rest of our lives? This pastor said we become so focused on discovering which one is the BEST decision when God is offering us the opportunity to choose between more than one great option. He’s allowing us to exercise our free will and choose, knowing that either one will have His blessing on it. That was incredibly freeing to us because we no longer focused on “what if we make a mistake,” but instead focused on “which would we like to do?” That opened up an entirely new world to us – one in which we partnered with God to determine His options, then enjoyed His delight in us choosing which of these great options we’d like to do, trusting in Him that the outcome would be good because His blessing was on it.

We don’t always get to repaint right away when we make a poor color choice. Sometimes, we have to live with our choices and suffer the consequences of being surrounded by a color we don’t like very much. Those are the times when we have an opportunity to learn how to make better choices next time. We learn  how to spend the time and pay the cost of trying some samples out on the walls before making a final decision, rather than acting impulsively in order be done with the task and move on to the next thing.

We also learn how to listen to the ideas offered by our Master Designer who often presents us with more than one design option knowing we’ll love whichever we choose.  

So, which will you choose? Will it be a shade of blue, yellow, grey, teal, green or red? Whichever it is, listen to the voice of your Designer, try out your samples to see which you like best and make your decision.

Soul Restoration

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, even as your soul prospers.”  (3 John 2)

This morning, I began to listen to Beni Johnson share a recent message in which she started with the above verse.  The latter half of it struck me – “…even as your soul prospers,” and it stayed with me. Our souls comprise our mind, will, and emotions. As I let this verse rest deeply in my heart, I began to realize anew that the changes that have been occurring in every area of my health and the ways that God has been opening doors for Brian and me recently have come directly out of our souls prospering as God has been restoring them within us.

When we were born, we were innocent, unmarred by sin – that of our own or that of others against us. However, over time, our souls become beaten up by the storms of life, including storms of our own making. We become marred, tattered, broken. We forget that we have positions as sons and daughters of the King; that we’re dearly beloved and we’ll one day walk with Him on streets of gold.

I began to think about the treasures I’ve found in garage sales. They were once beautiful and wanted, maybe even kept in a place of honor in the person’s home. Over time, they were used, banged up, and became worn. Now, they’ve been set aside, forgotten, deemed as useless or unneeded. How often do we feel that way about ourselves?

Yet, I’ve laid hold of these “finds” with delight, knowing what they can become with just a little bit of restorative effort. After the work has been completed, I’ve displayed them proudly, used them with joy, and made sure that they were kept in good condition. If I look at that piece that I love and notice that something has become broken, I take the time to fix it again, bringing additional restoration where needed.

Psalm 23:3 begins with, “He restores my soul…” The word “restore” means to repair or renovate so as to return it to its original condition” or to “return (someone or something) to a former condition, place or position.” 

A former condition…place…or position…

He sees us in our broken condition and as Someone with an eye for beauty beneath the surface, He chooses us, lifting us out of the pile of worthless rubble we toss ourselves into. He smiles, knowing what we will become as we are restored, brought back to our original condition, made new. He returns us to our positions as sons and daughters as we walk with Him in the place of His presence. He continues to delight in us simply being with Him, caring for us daily, mending new areas as needed and He does it all with such great love for us, deeply desiring that we would prosper in all things and be in health in every way.

It all begins with our souls. 

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

Over the last four months, God has been accomplishing a lot of renovation within my soul and spirit. He’s been knocking down walls, breaking open vaults filled with things I’d locked away, and opening passageways to hidden rooms within my heart that were meant to be filled with love instead of darkness. I’ve experienced anger and pain as I’ve worked through issues of abandonment, rejection, and even betrayal. My Father has lovingly ripped areas of my heart down to the studs so that it could be rebuilt with beauty and mercy.

Recently, this theme of mercy has been like a revolving door, coming round and round again, within my mind and filling my soul. The lyrics to Amanda Cook’s song, “Mercy,” have captivated me entirely.

My past embraced

My sin forgiven

I'm blameless in Your sight

My history rewritten

Cause You delight in showing mercy

And mercy triumphs over judgment

Oh Love, great Love

Fear cannot be found in You

And there will never be a day

You're uncertain of the ones you choose

So I will awake

And spend my days

Loving the One who has raised me up

From death to life

From wrong to right

You're making all things beautiful

As I worshipped to this song this morning, the thought came to me, “What IS mercy exactly?” I found that the meanings include “unfailing love, kindness, tenderness, and an outward expression of mercy.” To have mercy means to have an “active desire to remove distress, to show compassion, pity, and love.”

This is what Father God has done for me – shown me unfailing love, kindness, and tenderness and He has removed my distress. In the words of the song, my past has been embraced, my sin forgiven, I’m blameless before Him and my history has been rewritten.

Mercy is also what He delights in me showing to others – doing what I can to remove others’ distress, showing compassion, pity and love. It’s in that place that forgiveness can flow, just as it did when Jesus hung on the cross and said with all the love in His heart, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Honestly, the idea of showing pity creates a struggle within me because I immediately think that pity is not what I would want another to have toward me; however, when I look at its meaning, I’m better able to embrace it. Pity defined is the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others. I can instantly feel that way for others and often do when those whom I love are suffering. I’ve just never thought of it as pity before.  

As for others showing it toward me? Those who know me well know what I have been walking through and I know they’ve felt measures of sorrow and compassion for what I was suffering. Yet, they’ve also seen God holding me tightly in His embrace. They’ve seen His peace and grace enveloping me and protecting me as if I were surrounded by an impenetrable bubble. There is no pity in that – only sweet smiles of joy at the realization of His mercy bringing me healing and freedom.

I mentioned to Brian this morning that what was on my heart to write today really wasn’t connected in any way to a house. I couldn’t figure out a way to draw from a specific house-related theme and connect it to mercy. Bri immediately answered, “Houses have to be decorated. Why not decorate them with mercy?”

Why not? Mercy triumphs over judgment and our Decorator makes all things beautiful.

 *Definitions for “Mercy” taken from the Spirit Filled Life Bible, Nelson Publishing.

** Bethel Worship Live with Stephanie Gretzinger: "Mercy" & "The More I Seek You"