I Do Choose!

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. Mark 1:29-45

We all have bad days. It is part of being human. I had a bad day yesterday, nothing earth shattering, but it made me question whether I was on the right path. Our bad days can shake us to our core, even as the world notices nothing. We can be broken inside and people can pass us by. We can also normalize our suffering, saying it is nothing, and never ask for the help we need. Today is the day to ask for the help and to expect that God chooses healing for each of us.

Jesus has begun his ministry and was quickly in demand. We see that his close disciples have all sorts of ideas and direction for him, and yet he goes his own way, in his own time. He touches a deathly ill mother and gives her the strength to return to her active life. Along the road he willing chooses to make a leper whole again. God constant activity is to be reaching out to us, giving us whole cloth when we were once in shatters. God's whole mission is the work of love. We are so fortunate to be invited to join in that choosing, that calling, that willingness to bring healing and restoration to this world.

Today I ask God to restore me and all those who are flagging. May we be stood again on our feet so we might serve, and healed again so we might tell the stories of love to a world so in need of restoration, healing, and loving service.