Multiple Choice
Written by Vicki Kemper
February 4, 2019
Elijah said to her, "For thus says the Lord the God of
Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail
until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth." -
1 Kings 17:14
The widow of Zarephath had a choice
to make: Use what little she had to make one last supper for herself and her
son or, instead, use it to feed the bossy prophet who promised his God would
provide.
We don't have to be in dire straits
to recognize these basic life options: to withhold or to give, to cower in fear
or to step out in trust, to settle for perceived scarcity or to recognize and
embrace abundance.
Play it safe or take a risk. Trust
what we think we know or put our faith in the promise of an unimaginable love.
Barely survive or bet on the fullness of life.
Most of us face some version of
these choices every day: To forgive or to grow embittered. To stew in our
worries or be grateful for what is. To open our hearts or wall others out. To
get involved or remain a bystander. To go to the march or to the movies. To say
what we think or to be kind. To stop and pray or to kill another hour on Instagram.
Rarely are our options so clear or
binary or conscious. Still, our choices shape our days, and our days shape our
lives.
The widow had very few options, but
still she chose: empowerment over surrender, the hope of life over certain
death.
What will you choose today?
Prayer
Holy One, thank you for giving me
choices. Help me to recognize them, and to choose what makes for life.