Choices

res·o·lu·tion 1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination. 2. A resolving to do something. 3. A course of action determined or decided on. choice 1. The act of choosing; selection. 2. The power, right, or liberty to choose; option. 3. One that is chosen. 4. A number or variety from which to choose. 5. The best or most preferable part. 6. Care in choosing. 7. An alternative.

It was many years ago that I had resolved not to make resolutions on the eve of a new year.  Instead my goal was to make choices.  Where resolutions are firm, choices allow for compassion.  I knew that I would still be making choices for big picture planning as I went along but, more importantly, I'd be making conscious choices for each and every moment.

This journey has allowed me the ability to re-evaluate the choices which are important to me.  My decisions these days are often rooted in my humble attempts to live a purpose-driven life.  There are threads of this purpose woven throughout my journeys which means that my life is (and I am) a continual work in progress.  

Healing is also a work in progress.  However, despite having still a way to go, I am in awe to find myself in such a place of functional health.  In God's healing, my functionality has increased to a place of what I consider miraculous ability: the strength (and extra hands) He has given me have helped me even though I've been feeling overextended to get through the sicknesses of these four little boys while Arden has been working lengthy days and nights.  I choose to be in a place of thankfulness.

I am thankful for choice.  I find myself making a lot of little choices that are ending up to be significant on the big picture.  There is freedom in letting go, paring down and eliminating those little things and habits that have hindered me.  They have to go.  I'm no longer collecting anything that holds me back from living my primary purpose of living a life of love.  Cheesy, I know... but I believe it.

I'm not writing this post as an entry against resolutions; in fact, I look at resolutions as decisions as to where we are going to place our love.  Name a resolution, I'll track the source back to love.  A lot of our resolutions are designed for a positive conclusion.  For example, taking the top ten resolutions here, relationship love is at the core of 'wanting to spend more time with family and friends' or a love for healthy living and a love for self is rooted in 'wanting to get fit'.

In making choices, I am making the decision to look at the means for change (love) rather than the perceived result.

All the same, resolutions don't allow for us to change in big ways. When we're too rigid in our thinking, we limit our potential which means that we can't transform our lives.  Ultimately, we change the manifestation but not the heart of the matter.  I think that we are often in situations where we feel that the circumstances are too much for us and therefore, living our lives the way we want to - in freedom, in love - is not possible.  These ideals are something to be invested in as an after thought or put off until... well, later.  If it's something we can have after we've done everything else we've got to do then we're a few steps ahead.  We'll get to it down the road when we get things together; when it's less busy; when we have more resources.

But one of the beauties of life is that we never get things all together.  This is a good thing because if we ever feel that we've got it together, we stop growing.  We never get less busy the way we expect we will and when we have more resources we may just find that we don't have more time.  What if our busyness is distracting us from a bigger plan for our lives?  I'm writing this because I feel that it is so essential to think about it and I'm writing it from a point of view of someone who has traveled there and back again.  This moment is all about choice: live right now.  Love right now.

If given every choice, how would you live this next year out?   It's not about considering what you would do but rather how you would live.

I'm discovering through my continued journey of faith and discovery that love and freedom and grace can be a way of life.  That means that I can deal with situations which make me envision a Gary Larson Far Side box drawn around them and still persevere.

It may not always be pretty but it is a mess-iful, bountiful, miraculous and wonderful life.

This photo represents so many miracles to me (fodder for another post, another time).

But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness ~ Proverbs 14:22b