Choose Life!

There once was a court jester who was known throughout the kingdom as a very smart, clever, and funny man. He had a knack for choosing the right jokes at the right time and was one of the only people who could make the king laugh. One day, however, the jester went too far and insulted the king in such a way that the joke was deemed to have treasonous intent and was therefore punishable by death. The king, feeling compassion for the jester, told him that he could choose the way he would die. Many people, without thinking, would have chosen a quick and painless death. The jester, however, had been practicing making choices his entire life. He paused to think for a moment and then replied, “I choose death by old age.”
We all get to choose. That is the criminally insane fact of this existence. "Why would God let this happen" is one of the most overused questions in devaluing our Creator and His purpose in our lives. The truth is the choices we make determine the life we live. In the story, the court jester made a bad choice, he insulted the king. That mistake brought a mandatory death sentence, but he still got to make a choice, and it turned out to be a pretty good one! We have all made some bad decisions in our lives. I made one bad enough to see my best friend die.
After a mistake, we must determine where our choices lead us. My choices led me to drinking and drugs and a unmanageable lifestyle. The good news is, that same power to choose brought me out of that life and into the life I now live. We can choose to live in light or dark, it is up to us. Choosing to live with Christ has to be a choice we make daily. A one time decision that is not acted upon has no power to save us. If an alcoholic one day decides not to drink and then drinks the next, his one day decision only helped that one day. If you choose light, if you have chosen Christ, make a conscious decision every day to live for Him. It will bring the Fathers favor into your life, I promise. If you have never really chosen Christ, do it today. Simply ask Him to forgive you and be your Lord, He's always ready! And if like the Jester you have made some bad choices, those days, months or years of making the king smile will bring with it compassion and grace. Who knows, what seemed like the end will really be you choosing a bright and shining new beginning! We'll see you at 100!
Gods blessing and favor
Mitch