The Right to Choose

"The Path" by Akiane Kramarik

This is a painting by an artist who has touched my soul.  She is 17 and was born into an atheist home.  When she started painting in her early teenage years she had some amazing spiritual experiences.  She not only found God, but so did her family.  This is her painting named "The Path" and this is what she has to say about it, "In order to choose the right path, we don't have to understand the wrong, we simply need to walk to the light".

The right to choose has affected my life more than any other gift God has given me, and yes; I said GIFT.  We weren't born with the right to choose, it is a gift given to us by God for choosing to have him in our life.  Because we made the decision to love him and do as he asks, he gives us free agency.  One of the greatest gifts we will ever receive.

What I loved about this quote from Akiane, is that throughout my life I have taken free agency for granted.  Because I constantly felt that I had to understand the good and the bad of something. I have made horrible mistakes.  Mistakes that took me out of the presence of my Father in Heaven for quite sometime.  I now know that if I would have chosen "the light" or chosen to do what I knew to be right from the very beginning, life would have been a lot easier.  

That being said, it doesn't mean that I'm not grateful for the wrong choices I made.  They have shaped and molded me into the person that I am today, and I am proud and I love the person I am today.  Do I think I would be the person I am today if I wouldn't have gone through those experiences?  I do not, but it doesn't mean I wouldn't be a great person; just different.

I believe it takes a truly strong spirit to see the light, and the dark, be curious about both, but know that the outcome will be better every time if you choose the light.  I feel as though many times in my life I've been weak, and I'm thankful for a loving Savior who allows me to screw up and repent, and become one with him again.  

I don't need to understand the dark.  I don't need to understand the wrong in this life.  I simply need to trust that my Father in Heaven is going to let me know that it's wrong, and I have to have faith enough to choose the light.  I know that if I do this I will be blessed, and my life will be good.  It may not always be easy, but I can accomplish anything with God on my side.  I'm so thankful that he gives me the option to choose dark or light though, and I'm grateful that he has faith in me to make the right decisions.