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The choices we make affect our faith, our family, our community, and our future. Honestly, when you see it, you start to realize that It’s what our day-to-day life is, a choice. It is also one of the first gifts that God gave man in Genesis. Most would say it’s when Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit. But I believe it’s before that, in Genesis 2:19. In this passage, God brings all the animals to Adam. He allows Adam to take part in the work that he completed. How? With a choice. He gave Adam not only the choice to participate. He offered choice after choice, allowing him to name God’s creations—the animals. Never once in that passage does it say, God took that choice from him. When he gave the gift of choice to him, he gave it to him fully. Let’s look at some of Adam’s choices for God’s creation, “spiny lump sucker” (a what? haha), “chicken turtle” (wonder what if it tastes like chicken..) then we have the butterfly. What a name for such an inspiring and beautiful creature. It shows us personal growth, transformation, and resilience. What can we see? It starts with the life of a caterpillar. This is amazing in itself. They eat so much that it literally splits their skin. This process forces them to shed four to five times. (Just as Jesus helps us sheds our flesh, in layers) they have amazing strength in their legs. These pro-legs help the caterpillar cling to surfaces. The caterpillar moves forward. Its true legs work with precise movement. This enables it to navigate its path. (The same as in faith, we cling to Jesus as he navigates our path). It also has “spikes” on its skin as protection. (As we carry our own sword of protection, The Bible, The living word of Jesus). Now after a life of eating, navigating this world, surviving the predators, and shedding its skin multiple times, do you think its life is over? Do you think its purpose is over? Absolutely not. God created this creature with a natural instinct. It feels the change in its body and knows when it is ready to enter its next season in life. (Just as he has given us his Holy Spirit to help us know and navigate the change of seasons in our lives.) Do you think the caterpillar questions, second guesses, avoids, or procrastinates this change of season? No, it instantly begins to form its chrysalis, without thought. It covers itself and surrenders its entire body to death and brokenness, as it undergoes this transformation. (Just as we do when we surrender our lives to Christ.) It is only through this death and brokenness that, just as the Caterpillar, we are transformed to become who we were truly meant to be and to live the life we were created for. Just as the butterfly emerges with a new purpose and a new life. It is more resilient and has more strength. It is better equipped to navigate with precision. It is covered in every color of the rainbow. We are transformed through the power of Jesus Christ. He has set us free. He made a way. He took on that death and brokenness for us. Now rewind back to Genesis, when Adam named a creature like this, a “butterfly”, God didn’t say “Are you sure?” No, he accepted his choice and then kept moving onward with him. Isn’t he amazing, that he still does that for you and me today? He accepts our choices and still moves forward with us. This doesn’t mean our choices are without consequences. We live in a broken world and are still sinners. We are human, and we still stumble and fall. So good or bad we are still held accountable for our choices. We are held accountable here on earth with our every day to day lives. We all have a daily rhythm. We choose to get up. We decide to go to work. We select the types of food we eat. We opt to pay our bills. We choose to take care of our kids. I ask, what would your life look like if you choose not to do any of these things? Would there not be any consequences? Yes, there would be. We are being honest. Most of us don’t have a wish to see these consequences unfold in our lives. So we discipline ourselves into a daily routine to avoid the consequences of this world. One might even say that we discipline ourselves so well and for so long that the routines have become mundane. Mundane, this word in the Oxford dictionary has two meanings, 1. Lacking interest or excitement. It is dull. But when I looked it up and read the second one, it had a stronger grip. It reads, 2. Of this earthly world rather than in heaven or spiritual one. When we take the second definition and apply it, what we really have is disciplined ourselves into a life without true connection to the people around us. We live without hope, without love, without compassion, without trust, without joy, without peace, without our creator, without our savior, without our protector, without our light, without living water, and without our redeemer. This is a choice many have made. It’s a mundane life. It’s a life where they never emerge from the chrysalis into the freedom Jesus gives us. But God, But God. I absolutely love saying this and I have found these words woven throughout my life. I don’t say “but God” without moving in the direction of hope and freedom. This direction is wrapped in peace and joy. Because I know he is the one that cracks the chrysalis. He opens doors and shines a light on the truth that is keeping you captive. He is the one that breathes, and things come alive. He comes in compassion and will sit with you right where you are until you choose to move. You can take comfort in knowing when you do make that choice. He has already gone ahead of you and made a way. He has lamps on stands for you to see clearly. He has already prepared a community to come up around you. He is waiting to empower you with the Holy Spirit because he knows what’s on the other side. He knows it’s going to take supernatural strength. After he has gone before you and done all this in preparation, he comes right back. He is holding your hand. He is saying “when you are ready.” When you are ready.