How many choices have you made in your life without any emotional involvement?  You may be thinking what a strange question.  Bear with me as I tell you how Jesus converted me.

I was 40 years old.  I had spent 40 years in the wilderness of the world and I had suddenly a deep desire to find God.  I felt confused, unfulfilled and depressed.  Then something miraculous happened.  God spoke to me.

I heard a voice in my heart and I knew it was Jesus.  Jesus asked me “What is love?”  I thought about it for a second and I said, “Love is a feeling”.  To this, Jesus responded “Wrong” in a voice that was gentle, kind and strong.  So I asked, “What is it then?”  Jesus said, “Love is a choice”.

This revelation turned my world upside down.  I realized I was making important decisions relying almost exclusively on how I was feeling.  A little while later while I was speaking to the Virgin Mary, I heard the Virgin Mary say:  “Focus not on what you feel, but on God’s will for you.”

God and His Holy Mother Mary helped me to suspend my focus on my emotions and start striving to understand God’s will for my life.  I decided I would start volunteering my time to some charitable causes.  I felt tired but I would not allow my feelings to get in the way.  God reached out His hand to me and I began walking on a new path and suddenly the world began to look different to me.

On this journey I met many children around 8 – 10 years old who were learning about God.   I remember being in a classroom in a Catholic school once speaking about the Eucharist and a few of the children said, “I keep asking my parents to take me to Church, but they say they are too tired on Sunday’s.”  Many of us are making decisions based on how we feel.

Another little boy whispered in my ear, “I’m not Baptized!”  He wanted so much to receive the Eucharist with his little classmates.  I encouraged him to speak to his parents about his desire to be Baptized.  Choosing to teach our children about God is one of the most important choices we will ever make.  Choosing to pray for all children and for all families, especially those with no faith, is a good choice we should make.

On my spiritual journey I have met people who suffer from various forms of mental illnesses and addictions.  I feel privileged to feel compassion for them, but I realize that even compassion does not have to be driven by our emotions.  We can choose to pray for anyone.  We can choose to be compassionate even if we don’t understand our neighbour’s pain or their problems.  Remember Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”  Matthew 7:1

There was a time when I used to wonder why are the young people that I see begging for cash on the streets not working.  They looked so healthy and capable.  Then God introduced me to them.  I met youth that were separated from their parents living on the streets with no jobs, no money, no skills and no friends to guide or help them.  Many of them were on drugs and I felt so sad for them.  But my feelings of sorrow are not enough!  The type of love that Jesus is calling us to is NOT a feeling it is a choice.  We can make a choice to pray for them.  We can choose to volunteer for agencies that are set-up to help them and we can choose to contribute financial resources to causes that will train them and support them.

Thank You Holy Lord for teaching me that we must not let our choices be held captive by our emotions.  Help us to choose to be compassionate by praying for all those who are suffering, confused and lost.  Let us support causes that are in place to assist the needy with our financial contributions, our prayers and our volunteer efforts.  Jesus Our Good Shepherd we need YOU!  We  love YOU!  Thank You for never abandoning us, Your little sheep.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”  1 John 4:16

May all our choices give glory to God!