Of Life, Choices, and Prayer.

February 22, 2012

Of Life, Choices, and Prayer.

Life is all about choices. Sometimes the choices are simple, like which tights to wear with your outfit today (and if you're like Mari, you probably got that wrong! haha Sorry Sis). Sometimes the choices in life are the big ones that effect the rest of your life, like who to marry (and if you're like Mari, you get that one perfectly right)! :-D

And other times... the choices that we face can be life changing but not permanent, big enough for goodbye's but not big enough to never say hello again. Sometimes we have to put our big boy pants on and make a mature decision that might not be exactly what we want right now, but if we keep the realization that it will help us get to where we want to be, then we can rest assured that it's the right decision. Often times these are the hardest decisions that we have to face. Seeing the big picture of the future can be really hard when the small picture right in front of us is so distracting. But if you pray about it, if you're led by God about it, then there is a peace that comes with knowing that you are where you should be.

I used to make a lot of my biggest choices at the last possible second, going with whatever felt right. (I liked to think of myself as wonderfully spontaneous. Pfffft.) And that really was NOT the best way to make those choices. I wish I would have prayed more about what to do after highschool and where to go after college but at the time I was too immature and selfish to believe that God might have a different place for me then where I wanted to go. I remember the first time that I did pray about a big decision and the overwhelming peace that came when I finally knew what the right choice was. And then after I made that choice? Oh the overwhelming joy that comes! It's truly an amazing feeling (and one that cannot properly be put into words). And just to be clear, it is not about praying for this job or that house or this boyfriend or that whatever... it's about praying to know where you can be useful in God's kingdom. It's NOT about letting God know what YOU want in life and TELLING Him to make it happen so you can be happy... it's about SEEKING to know what God wants from your life and getting the help to be WILLING for WHATEVER He asks of you... so that you can have PEACE. I'm so thankful for this provision God has made for us and it always makes my heart so happy when I see others who have used this avenue of prayer to get help with their life choices.

It seems lately that a lot of my friends and family members have been facing a lot of those big choices and even though I'm not directly involved in those choices, it's been a bit emotionally overwhelming for me to see all this LIFE happening. I often find myself wishing that I was rich enough to make all their financially struggles go away, wise enough to guide them on which choices to make, and smart enough to heal all their illnesses. But I am not enough. And that is why I am SO thankful for a God I can pray to because He is MORE then enough to help me and all my loved ones... and so I leave it in His hands (and I hope you do too). In the meantime, I will love my friends and family all the more.

I hope you each know how much I love you...