First Tuesday • Advent 2022

November 29th, 2022

CHOOSING

“If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

—Philippians 1:22-23

This verse is part of a larger group of verses where Paul the Apostle had sent a letter addressing the people of Philippi and greeting them. Paul goes on to tell of his prayers for them (verses 1-11), and starting with verse 12, he presents his circumstances “choosing” what to do. You may read it in its entirety here: https://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Phil%201.1-30

The choices we make every day leads us more times than not into unknown spaces. A favorite thing I like to (without navigation) is to take the unbeaten path when I’m driving with no immediate destination. I love choosing country roads that I’ve never noticed before. I have found some very cool things to photo over the years. I have also encountered road closures and detours. Once when I was taking pictures all alone on what seemed like an abandoned road, I was stopped and questioned by a police officer because my adventure had taken me very close to federalized land and they were searching for someone using a drone. After explaining who I was and what I was doing and offering to show my pictures I was let go without much fuss or delay. I have even managed to get pretty turned around while randomly choosing roads, that’s when I start reading road signs more carefully and align my directionality.

Some of our choices can be scary and cause us fear. Within that fear we can feel darkness coming upon us like a fog, all of a sudden our senses are chaotic and we are at least temporarily disoriented. I am pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I am not fond of darkness. I have overcome most of my fears as they relate to physically dark spaces. I can pretty much pinpoint the event that culminated my fear of darkness. I was probably somewhere between 6-9, mom and dad had been out for the evening and a babysitter stayed with me and my brother. I begged to sleep in my parents bed so I could see them when they got home. Sometime later in the night I woke up in the dark, thinking I was in my parents bed I tried to get up and see if they were home yet. As I tried to get out of bed and reach for the door, I could not find either…I was terrified, started crying and searching for the door and all I felt was wall. When the light came on, my mom at the door I soon realized I was in my own room in my own bed, (the moving me from one bed to another had not woken me from my sleep). My mom calmed me down and waited for me to fall back asleep. This event found a way into my very being and has stayed with me through most of my adult life. There came a time when facing this fear was no longer a choice but an opportunity to conquer it. Life might have been different if I had made the choice earlier in life but that’s just wishful thinking. I believe that my time for conquering was only possible after I had lived through some important life experiences. I also know that God has been with me every step of my journey, especially when I was doubting that He was. We, God’s children often see things with one way vision, it is never God leaving us…my friends it is us who forget that God is with us. God is not a magic fairy going around granting wishes, God is in a very real sense our Father, and loves us always. This is true, no matter how many choices or lack of them we make, before we finally make up our minds and return to Him. And, He’s always there to welcome us back home, to Him.

How about you? Choosing, how does this word fit into your life.

This week as we look to HOPE, are you choosing it for yourself as well as sharing it with others?

HOPE

• to cherish a desire with anticipation

• to want something to happen or to be true

• to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment

• to expect with confidence 

• desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment

• someone or something on which hopes are centered

• something desired

Together, you and I can keep HOPE alive. I believe in hope, I have hope and I want to share hope…please join me!

Words below were written by Jan Richardson.

There are other senses, 

you tell us,

and when the darkness

obscures our choices,

we must turn

to the other ways of knowing

you have given us. 

                       -Jan Richardson 

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you were blessed as you are a blessing to me.

~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Phil.1.22,Phil.1.23&version=NRSVCE