MikePeercy.com

There are few artists today that can both write and perform at the level of Sara Bareilles. Her skills are on point.

The first time I heard her song, “I Choose You,” I was instantly captivated. It is melodic and catchy and just… great. Her vocals seem effortless. It’s just a great song.

You just have to give it a listen.

This song is centered upon the point of choice. She describes with infectious rhythms and elegant melodies the proclamation of a lifetime choice. The chorus rings it out so beautifully, “I choose you.”

Life is an endless progression of choices. In our earliest days we have someone to make them for us, but we’re on a journey of learning to make them for ourselves. They’re limited by circumstances and the decisions of others around us, but ultimately we choose in every moment how to respond or act in light of the situation we face.

Theologians argue at length about how much or if we ever really have any choice at all in our lives. I’m pretty convinced that every call of God is an invitation into a deeper intimacy. And part of the reason I’m so convinced is the way God has used my marriage to teach me about the perpetual choosing I committed to more than thirty years ago.

I think it’s pivotal to the vows we make when we walk into this unique relationship—that we are pledging to choose this person moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day… until death alone shall part us.

When you pledge your life to another in marriage, you are, at least in principle, proclaiming your intention and promise to choose this person above all others for life.

If you have made one of those lifetime promises (that we usually call wedding vows), go back and listen to this great song again. What does choosing your partner look like today? Get up and get after it—with an extra spring in your step from Ms. Bareilles’ catchy groove.