A Journey Of Choices

Have you ever made a decision that changed a day, a relationship, or even life, dramatically? We now find ourselves amid the first week of Lent. It’s a time set aside to examine our faith journeys, our choices, and how our lives and hearts are aligned with the teachings of Jesus. I have been sharing “aha” readings (those that cause me to really take note or focus upon more intently) in scripture. The first “aha” readings came from Genesis. Now we join the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to the land they were promised to receive from God.

Today’s “aha” is about choices and it comes from Exodus 1:1-2:10. Wow! It’s exciting to find such a powerful “aha” reading right as we turn the page into a new book! Here we find-

a king who only saw the possibility of revolt,
midwives who trusted God more than they feared man,
a mother who put her three-month-old son into the river in a basket hoping beyond all hope he would survive,
and a daughter who chose compassion over law.

Why? Why do these few verses shout, “choices?”

Once person’s choice effected multitudes. We find a king who had no history with the Israelites deciding they might turn against him and the Egyptian people. His fear led him to become intolerant of them. His solution? Be ruthless. Make living conditions almost unbearable. When that didn’t work, he ordered all Israelite babies two years and younger to be killed. If there were no children for the future, he wouldn’t need to worry. Right? Little did he know both his country and those around would be saved from a great famine because of that little baby (Moses) floating in the basket and his own daughter who hid Moses’ identity as an Israelite. Here’s what happened (It’s a story worth reading!):

The king (Pharaoh) chose being self-serving over other-focused.
The midwives chose faith and trust in God over fear and certain death.
A mother trusted the grace and providence of God and an unknown future for her child over a dreadful law.
A daughter who chose compassion, love, and nurture for a disenfranchised child over a law and/or natural conditions that would most certainly have brought the baby death.

What was the “aha?” We all make choices every day. Lent is a time to examine our choices and see if how we live day to day exemplifies God’s great love, compassion, and grace.

Do we live in fear of others?
Where do we ultimately place our trust?
How far are we willing to go to help someone in need?

May your Lenten journey be a time to examine your choices both big and small. Ultimately, may God’s love and understanding guide each one you make! I would love to have you send your “aha” scriptures to me! Let’s learn from each other! Put them in the comments below.