I Will Choose Christ Tom Booth

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Lyrics

Refrain
I will choose Christ,
I will choose love,
I choose to serve.
I give my heart, I give my life,
I give my all to you.
1. How many times
must he call my name
and show to me that he is God?
And as a servant he calls to me,
"You must serve too."
2. Christ, my teacher and healer,
teach my heart and heal my soul.
And as I walk this road with you,
teach me to love.
3. As I look upon your cross,
so too must I die with you.
And with the death of my
own desires,
I'll rise with you.

© 1991, Tom Booth. Published by spiritandsong.com®, a division of OCP. All rights reserved.

Artist Reflection

I remember being 17 years old, taking a walk in the mountains by myself and seriously considering whether or not I should follow Christ. I mean, really pick up my cross and follow him. I had a gut feeling about what following him would mean. It would mean changing a few things in my life: no more relationships and habits that led me down the wrong path and into darkness. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be hope-filled. I was tired and only 17 years old. Why was I tired? I guess I was running from God and that took so much energy to do.

"I will choose Christ, I will choose love, I choose to serve.
I give my heart, I give my life, I give my all to you."

I composed these lyrics 12 years later for a parish Confirmation retreat. I remember singing it over and over with the young people. At the end of the weekend we all decided to decide every day for Christ. It has been said: Conversion is a process, not an event. This means that everyday we need to decide for Jesus, decide for light, decide for hope. I remember Fr. Stan Fortuna telling me that his decision for Jesus was a daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute decision.

"How many times must He call my name, and show to me that He is God?" A thousand times! And a thousand times more! Like Peter, I am slow to learn. And Jesus keeps calling me,  keeps forgiving me, and keeps believing in me. Do I believe in him?

"Christ, my teacher and healer..." Ain’t that the truth! Jesus is our professor and doctor. Forming our mind and healing our soul. This happens slowly but surely as we follow and say YES!

"As I look upon your cross, so too must I die with you." When I was young I thought, "Oh, Jesus died on the cross so I wouldn’t have to -– thanks Jesus!" Now I know better. Jesus said YES to the father, loved, suffered and died on the cross so I would KNOW HOW too. Wow! Thank you Jesus for showing us the way. Give me the grace to choose you, to say YES to the Father’s will like your mother did. May I please God the Father as you did, for "with the death of my own desires, I’ll rise with you!" Amen.

-- Tom Booth