My life is filled with moments of wisdom and moments of folly. My decisions help determine the outcome. Life is filled with making choices. I do that all day. Sometimes choices are made without thought or contemplation. Choices are both a fact and a byproduct of life.
Yesterday’s first reading resonated with me. Joshua issued a simple statement. He announced his intent to serve the Lord while asking the other leaders about their plans. Each day I ask myself that question as I make my plans, decide which friends to see, say my prayers. Choice requires action. Choice can be noisy.
Yesterday, I made the choice to attend Mass. I made the choice to take a shower. I made the choice to make a peanut butter and strawberry preserve sandwich. I made the choice to pray for my family. I made the choice to think about what my true vocation is. made the choice to stop and ask myself what is God asking me to do.
My choice is to serve the Lord. Some days my stride is long, my pace is quick and well defined. Other days my stride is short, my pace is slow and lackadaisical. But, in my heart remains the desire to serve the Lord.
After Mass I walked home listening to orchestral music. My mind replayed bits and pieces of the homily. “Somehow, Peter always gets these great one liners.” I was comforted by how human and flawed the Apostles were. Their strong belief in God was inspiring. I crossed the bridge and noticed the crescent moon floating graciously in the western sky. How low the moon was! My mind was bouncing back and forth between the traffic, other pedestrians, my long running almost serialized science fantasy of robots, rogue politicians and ray guns, and the homily. Choice kept moving to the front.
With a hint of folly I wished that my missiological background was better formed. I wished that I my knowledge was greater than just the names of the various orders and a vague listing of where the work is performed.
Making the choice to serve the Lord is just one part of an incredible journey. Making a choice also involves some type of action, movement, or response.
When I returned home, somehow the Catholic News Service Blog was discovered and my eyes were skimming an entry by a priest who had received a new assignment to work at a high school in Detroit. The word “new” dominated the first paragraph. And so I continued reading.
Change often accompanies choice. Anxiety, nervousness, desire to succeed often simultaneously accompany choice. Believing and serving the Lord can sometimes be difficult and uncomfortable if we are not mindful of our thoughts.
We often make choices to satisfy different longings in our hearts and minds. It is our duty to praise and give God thanks. If we can be truly, one hundred percent humble before God, then our success is guaranteed. The stronger our faith, the stronger we are.
Our faith provides us with choices. Our faith provides us with change.
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