21 January 2011

LISS Day 7

Chosen and loved

Ephesians 1:3-5. I love it. If you haven't read it... please read it! Before the creationg of the world, He chose us! He chose you... he chose me! How magnificent!

By His Will, we are chosen. But what of our will? Do we choose Him back? Do we say yes and allow Him free reign over our bodies, souls and spirits? Today, I was filled with the image of God's Holy Family in Heaven - all the saints and angels are there, my Grandaddy is there (because I'm sure that the plenary indulgence I seeked for him has been granted, as I'm sure are the prayers of everyone who pleaded to our Heavenly Father to grant him peace and a heavenly welcome), my favourite Godmother is there... they're probably all jamming to some amazing praise and worship music right now glorifying and adoring God's Son! I want to join the party! I want to be among them glorifying the God in the Trinity! I feel excited... I can't wait to be in heaven with all my family in God! Wow... how amazing would it be to taste the goodness of all holiness and truth and life in the heavens?! The peace, the happiness... the possibility of being one of God's great family in his Kingdom... but hey, not my will, but His Will be done!

And that's almost what it comes down to... God has chosen us to be a part of that Kingdom, that great joy and perfection that is heaven... but he also granted us free will. A will to choose to become part of his great family in heaven, to be stuck in purgatory, or to be damned to eternal hell. The free will to know and accept His Love is the path I'm sure we all would prefer; but more often than not, it is no easy path. "... he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him". To enter into His Kingdom, we willfully choose to become holy, not unholy. We choose the good life, and learn to understand what 'the good life' is, as opposed to choosing the wicked life. We choose the difficult paths, as it is the difficult paths that we find God's promises. We choose the true light and not the ball of 1000 eyes, because all the material glitz and glamour of this world, is nothing compared to the peace and magnificent beauty that heaven can sustain us eternally with.

Ever-giving and fairest Father, You have chosen and loved me since before I was even a concept in my parents' minds. Everyday, I know You grant me the free will to choose You above other things of insignificance in my life. Help me to acknowledge these choices more clearly, and walk with me through every decision I make, so that in Your loving embrace, I am never alone or tempted the other way.

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