Deuteronomy 30:19: Choices

Deuteronomy 30:19 reads,  "This day I call the heavens & the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you Life & Death, Blessings & Curses. Now Choose Life, so that you and your children may live.

  This verse was part of my devo today. After a trip to a place like Haiti, your mind can be stretched and scattered a million different places causing a million different emotions.  However, I experienced many of the same emotions after a long day working with TennCare families in middle Tennessee or a long day of ministry in Kansas City, Missouri.

  At the end of the day, it all boils down to choices. I know, I know, there are things we have NO choice about, no one is going to choose cancer, or a fatal car accident of their family member, or choose to lose their job. BUT we DO get to choose how we handle those things, how we conduct ourselves in the midst of LIFE, to get up or lay down and die!

  In this verse above God tells us that He has set before us, life & death, blessings & curses. He instructs us to choose life. I find that He added the "choose life," part both odd and funny, and evidently absolutely necessary!  I saw it in KC, in TN, and now all over the world, people NOT choosing life! Whether, it's the candy bar that leads to obesity, the credit cards that lead to debt, the cigarette that leads to cancer, the  the affair that leads to divorce, the drink that leads to addiction, the gamble that costs us everything; it boils down to our choice; life or death?

  I know it's not simple, I can't seem to grasp the self discipline to choose and apple over a candy bar, when the "which is better for me?" answer is as clear as day! But that choice matters, for me & for my children if God gives me my own some day. Why do I mention children?  Because the verse tells us to choose life so that our children may live. Our choices affect our children, the children of others, children everywhere. Part of me is fighting breaking out into Michael Jackson's, "We are the World!", the other part of me is fighting the urge to make the obvious correlation between this verse   & "Choose Life" over abortion! But whether it's a big or little choice, it matters & will affect those around you & even those far away (it just depends on how many beans you choose to eat!!)

  I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, well, I do I guess, you have CHOICES. Maybe life is not going well right now, maybe it's gotten awfully dark for you and your's. You really do have a way out, you really do have choices, if they're not as clear cut as a candy bar or an apple, ask for help, seek True Life, seek Him, you'll find Him on your knees, in His word, & hopefully in His children.

  John 10:10 The thief comes to steal, kill, & destroy; I have come that you may have life, & have to the FULL.

  Choose Life.

 

Flashback

Present day:  Hanging with the interns. Talking about the body of Christ and what part they would be.  I told Sara she's the appendix because most of the time it needs to be removed and you can live without it.  Then I told Morgan she was the Spincter. (Gifts of Affirmation has never been my spiritual gifting!) They, in turn, began to quote The Little Rascals to me, which is fitting because they really ARE Little Rascals!

It was then that the flashback took place.  I was immediately back in my first office at Englewood Ministries. (The one that was a closet before they gave it to me as an office!) I sat down to check my voicemail and was greeted by the voice of a 4 year old)  

 "Dear Pastor Mary,

     I hate your stinkin guts! You make me vomit! You are the scugs between my toes! 

  

Love, 

     JoJo Ross" 

Last week, JoJo and I were on the same island of Hispanola, but hours a part from one another, but serving the same BIG God!