Life Choices

OH HOW HE LOVES US. 

As I listen to this song I think about my life choices… the good, the bad, the ugly and the "what was I thinking…" choices. I have made some incredibly stupid choices, I have also made some good decisions. The best decisions have been to repent from the incredibly stupid life choices. 

The beauty of a life with God is that we can see His love and His grace in the bad decisions and well as the good decisions. His love speaks louder than any decision I could make. Since I am His creation and He knows me so intimately none of my decisions are a surprise to Him. He may be disappointed with the choices I have made but that doesn't change the way He loves me. 

In the past few months I have witnessed/ heard about some incredible life choices that my friends are making. Some of those choices swell me with pride and joy. Yet others bring me to tears and make me ache for the consequences and pain that follow those decisions. None of those decisions change the way I love those friends. I will always love those friends no matter what life decisions they make. But, something does change, those life decisions either draw the friendship closer or cause distance. Once the bad life decision is made it's like there is a fork in the road, you choose one direction and your friend chooses another. There is the physical distance between the roads but also the emotional, spiritual and relational distance that comes from being un-able to relate. 

I believe that is the way it is with God. We can walk close to Him and be in relationship with Him, but when we choose a different direction we loose the contact with Him. We cause the distance. He didn't leave. He is there, walking parallel to us but on a different road. His arms are stretched out to us and offer us a way back to Him. All we have to do is admit we were wrong, accept His love and grace and run into His arms. He is always loving us and waiting on us. 

As I think about relationships that have changed over the years, the friendships that have grown distant have mostly been because of a physical distance. But other relationships have been because of life decisions and losing the ability to relate. Different Schools, Dating, Moving, Work, Marriage, and Children whether they are good choices or not isn't for me to decide but they have been the cause of losing that ability to relate. 

The longer we live the more life decisions we make whether good or bad (because we are not perfect) those decisions shape our lives and will either draw us towards the Lord or away from Him. I challenge you to think about that in your own lives. Can you see how decisions have pulled you away from the Lord and friends and how other decisions have been beneficial to those relationships. 

OH HOW HE LOVES US. 

HE IS JEALOUS FOR ME

HIS LOVE IS LIKE A HURRICANE 

I AM A TREE

BENDING BENEATH THE WEIGHT

OF HIS WIND AND MERCY

WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN 

I AM UNAWARE

 OF THESE AFFLICTIONS 

ECLIPSED BY GLORY

AND I REALISE 

JUST HOW BEAUTIFUL 

YOU ARE AND HOW GREAT 

YOUR AFFECTIONS ARE FOR ME 

OH HOW HE LOVES US OH

OH HOW HE LOVES US

HOW HE LOVES US OH

WE ARE HIS PORTION 

AND HE IS OUR PRIZE

DRAWN TO REDEMPTION 

BY THE GRACE IS HIS EYES

IF GRACE IS AN OCEAN 

WE'RE ALL SINKING

AND HEAVEN MEETS EARTH 

LIKE A UNFORSEEN KISS 

AND MY HEART TURNS VIOLENTLY

 INSIDE OF MY CHEST

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO MAINTAIN

 THESE REGRETS WHEN 

I THINK ABOUT THE WAY… 

HE LOVES US! 

WOO HOO!!!!!!!