Sunday, June 10, 2007

The Choice


The Choice
by Max Lucado

It's quiet.
It's early.
My coffee is hot.
The sky is still black.
The world is still asleep.
The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive.
It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.
The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day.
The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.
The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.
It is now that I must make a choice.
Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.

And so I choose....

I choose Love . . .
No occasion justifies hatred. No injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose Joy . . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of a lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose Peace . . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose Patience . . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite her to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose Kindness . . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God treated me.

I choose Goodness . . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.


I choose Faithfulness . . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose Gentleness . . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I choose Self-Control . . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the Eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, Joym Peace, Patience, Kindness Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness andSelf-Control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace.And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

11 comments:

  1. Beautiful wild rose, I can smell it from here.
    Wonderful poem to ponder.

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  2. I love Max Lucado's writings and this one was truly a blessing...CHOICE...whew...kind of a heavy word when you think about it....

    I am home missing my beloved church today due to the tmj and sinus pain...it is overwhelming me at times...I am not looking for sympathy....I am thankful for encouraging blogs like yours that bring such beauty and grace to this world with such great ideas as well...not to mention the photos...your blog is sure a fave of mine.
    Deby

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  3. Oh *Thankyou* What a wonderful, beautiful piece of writing

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  4. Anonymous4:02 PM

    Thanks for posting this and may your head hit your pillow in perfect peace tonight! Blessings...

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. This poem made my day. It also gives me much to ponder.

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  7. What a lovely poem - and pretty flower!

    By the way, your special birthday menue looks delicious! And what a great idea to use those flowers for decorations... ;-)))

    Best wishes from Germany,
    Anita

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  8. What a marvellous writting. I do think that Max Lucado is a wonderful writter I've got some books of him - he is very kind man -

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  9. What a beautiful capture Max Lucado has done of the fruits of the spirit. I think I need to print these out to start each morning with......and then read them again during the middle of the day. Thank you for sharing them!

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  10. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful poem. It has been such a blessing to stumble across so many blogs that are put out by Christian women. So inspiring and beautiful! What a lovely minstry.

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  11. nice post, thanks for the reflection.

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