Paper or plastic? Salty or sweet? Left or right? Study or party? Save or spend? Work or play? Laugh or cry? Leave or stay? These are all choices we make on a regular basis. We don’t really think too much about them, we simply do what we want. Our daily lives consist of choices like what to wear, what to have for lunch or what radio station to tune to. These choices are not as profound as say choosing a college, a career path, or the perfect pair of shoes to go with that dress you just had to have. However, we tend to forget that all choices matter. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; In other words, for every choice there is a consequence. As a younger generation we cannot seem to escape that statement. We hear it from our parents, teachers, and any other authority figure you can think of. Our choices are influenced by anything and everything; Family, friends, media, music, the list is endless. We choose according to what we prefer and desire. Often we take the attitude of “Do now, worry later” because who needs to waste time thinking of the pros and cons of every decision we make? We’re young; there are places to go and people to see. If we all stop and think that every decision we make throughout the day is a life changing experience, why should anyone bother getting out of bed in the morning? If the route that I choose to drive to school each day will affect my future then how am I supposed to choose a major in college? The simple choices of childhood have disappeared, and now it’s time to face the real world and decide what we are going to do with the rest of our lives. We have to realize that our choices affect everyone around us and not just ourselves. You choose how you react to a bad situation. You choose how you deal with a problem in your life. You choose how you make others feel. You choose to follow or you choose to lead.

All of these choices I have mentioned are personal choices. They involve our own lives and the lives of other people. But where does God come in? I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for every person he puts on the earth. I found my belief to be confirmed in the reading from John: “You did not choose me but I chose you.” There are so many stories in the Bible of extraordinary people that were chosen by God to do great things. Noah was chosen to save all of God’s creatures by building an ark. Moses was chosen to lead the Israelites out of slavery and into the Promise Land. Joseph was chosen out of twelve sons to save the people of Egypt from famine. Esther was chosen to save her Jewish people from destruction by the hands of her own husband. John the Baptist was chosen to be a voice crying out in the wilderness and to prepare the world for the coming of Christ. Mary was chosen when she was barely into her adolescent years to bear the Son of God. God even chose His only son to be sacrificed to give eternal life to the world. I have often wondered what would have happened if one of these people had simply said, “Sorry God, but I really don’t think I want to save all those people today. Why don’t you try someone else?” Would he have chosen another to do the job? Or did God know specifically whom he wanted from the day that person was born? Would he have forced them into fulfilling his choice, or would he have waited until they realized what His plan for them was?

I am firm in my belief that we are all God’s chosen people, whether we accomplish amazing feats like curing cancer, or just make it through a stressful day without losing our cool. He chooses doctors, pastors, policemen, teachers, construction workers, musicians, and presidents. He chooses mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, husbands and wives. He chooses ordinary people to heal the sick, feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, all the while remembering to love one another. One of my favorite verses is from Micah, describing what each of us is called by God to do: What does the Lord Require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.”

So if God makes the ultimate choice for our lives, what about free will? That is one question I have often struggled with in my faith. If we know we have a purpose and the gifts to fulfill this purpose, how do we find out what it is? How do I know if going to college and pursuing a degree in music is what I am supposed to be doing instead of joining the Peace Corp and living in the rain forest? Am I supposed to get married and have children or am I supposed to spend my life taking care of other people’s children who are abandoned in orphanages? These questions have been bothering me for the past few months. I never thought to worry about the future. (Pause) My responsibilities were basically to go to school and get promoted to the next grade level. But the required school time is up in a few weeks and I’ll be graduating along with hundreds of other students. I actually have to run my own life now, which is a very scary thought. I don’t really have an answer for my questions yet. I know that I have made the choice to go to college, but I cannot possibly determine whether every choice I make when I get there will be the right one. But what I do know is that I will make my decisions based on the values that have been instilled in me by my parents and my church. My mother never fails to call out “Make wise choices” whenever I am leaving the house. I usually roll my eyes a bit and rush off to wherever I need to be. But many of the choices I have made are a reflection of the beliefs my parents have taught me:

* Trust and believe in yourself,

* don’t lie, *always say thank you,

* doing the right thing is not always easy,

* people will always remember how you made them feel,

* marry someone who makes you laugh

* and don’t run with scissors.

My choices are also a reflection of the values I have learned from everyone at Covenant, adults, youth and children alike:

 *everyone is a child of God,

*pray from your heart,

*the Bible is alive,

*youth are not the future of the church but the now,

*a church is not a building but a community of faith,

*and also to never run with scissors.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone at Covenant for enriching my faith, allowing me to speak out, question my beliefs, and realize my gifts. I believe God chose all of you to enrich my life. I hope that you all will touch the lives of other youth in the future; the choice is yours.

4/22/07 8:30am A Love Song

4/22/07 11am A Distress Signal

4/8/07 Risen but Still Rising

4/1/07 When the Lord Comes

3/25/07 Lawnmower Theology