your choice

Have you ever told your kids, "you can have this or that, it's your choice"? Kids like to have a choice, it makes them feel in control. Instead of being told, "eat the carrots", they can choose between carrots and green beans. They will happily eat one of them because they WANT to!

Have you ever realized we are more like kids then we think :-) We want choices too. We want to do what we want to. More and more I am realizing whether "whatever" it is I am doing and whether it is a mundane something that just has to be done, like changing dirty diapers or washing the dishes one more time. Or doing something I really look forward to and enjoy like visiting with friends or going to Bible study, I still have a choice. So many times in motherhood it seems like our choices are made for us, somebody "has" to feed the kids and clean up the house. And let's face it, when your husband works 50-60 hour work weeks and your kids are 4, almost 3 and 15 months...... if you don't do, there isn't really anyone else who is going to!

But what is your choice going to be? It's not a choice whether you are going to make breakfast that morning or not. You have to make breakfast. But are you going to make breakfast with joy and thankfulness in your heart or are you going to make it wishing you could still in bed or sitting quietly reading your Bible sipping coffee? Sleeping and spending time in the Bible are good things :-) But right now, your kids need you. They need a mama who is happy to make them pancakes for breakfast and sit and eat them with them.

When you find yourself going thru the motions, getting frustrated with the kids, wishing your car started this morning so you could have gone to Bible study................ what are you going to do?

Sit down with your Bible, be thankful that it's 8 am and the kids are still ALL asleep (which is amazing!), enjoy a quiet cup of coffee and remember........

"YET, (in spite of everything else) I will (it is my choice) rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy (it changes your perspective) in the God of my salvation.

God, the Lord, is my strength; (only by God's grace and his help can I do this!)

he make's my feet like the deer's and makes me tread on high places."

Habakkuk 3:18-19 italics mine

I will choose to find joy in today.

I will choose to be thankful for my children and the time I get -not have to- spend with them.

I will make the most of today and be productive.

Because sitting around being sad, disappointed, frustrated and grumpy isn't going to hurt anyone but myself and I will bet my kids will be happier and have a better day too!

"This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it"