_{You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 6:18 (NIV)}

_{I left the trail and got lost.}

_{Wandering in the wilderness, I lost even the memory that I was there because of my own sinful choices. Eventually, I lost the truth that I had any choice at all. It felt like I was held hostage by my choices and that I had no choice but to keep making the same choices. What other choice did I have?}

_{So, part of my prodigal return was realizing I still had a choice, starting with the foundational choice that “I can’t, but God can.”}

_{Once I returned to God’s path, I could clearly see the terrible, horrible choice I’d made to wander away, and the resulting waste of time, energy, and missed opportunities. Not to mention, I’d been exhausting myself trying to live life like it was never designed to be lived.}

_{What I could also see is that I still had choices – I could continue down God’s path, I could sit and mourn the waste, or I could return to my wanderings.}

_{But, most of all, I finally believed my freedom of choice left me free not to sin. I did not have to sin; I could choose not to sin. I am free from sin, not free from temptation, but free from the slavery of sin that kept me chained to ungodly choices.}

_{Jesus broke the power of sin in your life, and he’s empowered you, through the Holy Spirit, to make the right, corrective, godly choices.}

Hi Thomas,

For those of us who for a long or short time travelled on that trail through the wilderness there is a bit more of a glow on the highway back. 

I really didn't know how else to put that.  The hardest part was coming to believe that the forgiveness wasn't just yours and my brother's and my next door neigbor's, but I was included and forgiven as well!

Once I made the choice to accept the forgiveness for me the road got smoother and broight and I have been going foward on that road ever since.

Making the right choices - and we are the only ones who can do the choosing for us - is so much easier when I make sure He is by my side and I can thank him for always being there!!

Hey, bro - thanks for the post!!

Judy