The choice is yours.

You can get with this… or you can get with that.  Oh, the prophetic lyrics given to us by Black Sheep that more or less went forgotten until Kia revived the song a couple of years ago when they aired that adorable Soul commercial with the hamsters.

Life for everyone really is one big “Choose Your Own Adventure” story.  Each move we make determines what will happen next.  I’m not sure about others, but I have spent way too many moments wondering if I made  the right choices.  Should I have gone away to school?  Should I have moved to Florida?  Was ending that relationship really the right thing to do?  Often, I don’t pray before I make decisions, but I will notice a feeling in my gut when I end up doing what could be considered the wrong thing.  I try not to be too hard on myself and have used the adage, “I did the best I could at the time.”  The trouble one can run into with making bad choices is continuing to make them, even after nothing positive has come out of the decision that was made.  I think this is where God comes in.  I think that feeling in my gut – you know the one…the one that feels like someone is taking a shovel and digging everything out of the pit of your stomach – I think that is God.  I think that is God saying, “Think a little harder about what you’re doing.  Regardless of what you do, I’m going to be here for you, but really, really think about this.”

When I was a child and things didn’t go my way, I used to tell my mom I didn’t believe in God.  If there was a God, there would be no way things wouldn’t go my way.  If God is so wonderful and He loves me and wants me to be happy, then why did this happen this way?  She would try to explain to me the idea of free will, but for the longest time, I wouldn’t accept it.  I think I never really wanted to take responsibility for the things that were or were not happening to me and place the blame elsewhere.

If you’re lucky, you wake up each morning.  And from that moment on, each and everything you do is a choice.  I will shower and get ready for work or I’ll stay in bed.  I’ll say something judgmental about my co-worker or I’ll remain silent.  I’ll hang on or I’ll let go.  I’ll answer the phone or I’ll let it go to voicemail.  I’ll run the yellow light or I’ll stop for it.  I’ll be afraid or I’ll be brave.  I’ll love or I’ll withhold love. I’ll give or I’ll take.  I’ll pray more or I’ll ignore that pit in my stomach.  I’ll attend mass daily or I’ll make an excuse not to.

The choice is yours.