THE CHOICE

[Guest guest]

THE CHOICE

He placed one scoop of clay upon another until a form lay lifeless on

the ground.

All of the Garden's inhabitants paused to witness the event. Hawks

hovered. Giraffes stretched. Trees bowed. Butterflies paused on petals and

watched.

" You will love me, creation, " God said. " I made you that way. You will

obey me, universe. For you were designed to do so. You will reflect my glory,

skies, for that is how you were created. But this one will be

like me. This one will be able to choose. "

All were silent as the Creator reached into himself and removed

something yet unseen. A seed. " It's called 'choice.' The seed of choice. "

Creation stood in silence and gazed upon the lifeless form.

An angel spoke, " But what if he... "

" What if he chooses not to love? " the Creator finished. " Come, I will

show you. " Unbound by today, God and the angel walked into the realm of

tomorrow. " There, see the fruit of the seed of choice, both the sweet and the

bitter. "

The angel gasped at what he saw. Spontaneous love. Voluntary devotion.

Chosen tenderness. Never had he seen anything like these. He felt the

love of the . He heard the joy of Eve and her daughters.

He saw the food and the burdens shared. He absorbed the kindness and marveled at

the warmth.

" Heaven has never seen such beauty, my Lord. Truly, this is your

greatest creation. "

" Ah, but you've only seen the sweet. Now witness the bitter. " A stench enveloped

the pair. The angel turned in horror and proclaimed, " What is it? "

The Creator spoke only one word: " Selfishness. "

The angel stood speechless as they passed through centuries of

repugnance. Never had he seen such filth. Rotten hearts. Ruptured promises.

Forgotten loyalties. Children of the creation wandering blindly in lonely

labyrinths.

" This is the result of choice? the angel asked.

" Yes. "

" They will forget you? "

" Yes. "

" They will reject you? "

" Yes. "

" They will never come back " ?

" Some will. Most won't. "

" What will it take to make them listen? "

The Creator walked on in time, further and further into the future,

until he stood by a tree. A tree that would be fashioned into a cradle. Even

then he could smell the hay that would surround him.

With another step into the future, he paused before another tree. It

stood alone, a stubborn ruler on a bald hill. The trunk was thick, and the wood

was strong. Soon it would be cut. Soon it would be trimmed. Soon it would be

mounted on the stony brow of another hill. And soon he would be hung on it.

He felt the wood rub against a back he did not yet wear.

" Will you go down there? " the angel asked.

" I will. "

" Is there no other way? "

" There is not. "

" Wouldn't it be easier to not plant the seed? Wouldn't it be easier

to not give the choice? "

" It would, " the Creator spoke slowly. " But to remove the choice is to

remove the love. "

He look around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on

three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind. Men

clad in soldier's garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the

dirt and laughed.

Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant,

cocky. They had protected God, they thought by killing this false one.

Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill. Speechless.

Faces tear streaked. Eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried to

lead her away. She wouldn't leave. " I will stay, " she said softly, " I will

stay. "

All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to

protect. But the Creator gave no command.

" It must be done..., " he said, and withdrew.

But as he stepped in time, he heard the cry that he would someday

scream: " My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? " He wrenched at tomorrow's

agony.

The angel spoke again. " It would be less painful........ "

The Creator interrupted softly. " But it wouldn't be love. "

They stepped into the Garden again. The Maker looked earnestly at the clay

creation. A monsoon of love swelled up within him. He had died for the creation

before he had made him. God's form bent over the sculptured face and breathed.

Dust stirred on the lips of the new one. The chest rose, cracking the red mud.

The cheeks fleshened. A finger moved. And an eye opened.

But more incredible than the moving of the flesh was the stirring of the spirit.

Those who could see the unseen gasped. Perhaps it was the wind that said it

first. Perhaps what the star saw that moment is what has made it blink ever

since. Maybe it was left to an angel to whisper it:

" It looks like ... it appears to so much like ... it is him! "

The angel wasn't speaking of the face, the features, or the body. He

was looking inside - at the soul.

" It's eternal! " gasped another.

Within the man, God has placed a divine seed. A seed of himself (A

seed of choice). The God of might had created earth's mightiest... And the One

who had chosen to love had created one who could love in return.

Now it's our choice.

-- Author Unknown

~ " We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a

little of each other everywhere. " ~

~ " If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the

entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand. "