choose

"It is our choice that shows what we truly are, far more than our abilities"-

Albus Dumbledore

Then choose today whom you will serve...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.- Joshua 24:15

Choice is a gift. One of my favorite things to do is to go to a new restaurant. I love looking at the menu. Drinks or appetizers? Chicken or pork? oh my and would you look at all the desserts.... Choice. I love it. For the record, it is almost always chicken. Although I like choice I seem to be a creature of habit!

I make choices everyday. Some are small. Like what to wear or what to eat. Some are huge. Like whether I should offer a helping hand or give up trying to be the best mother/wife I can be.

I decided quite awhile ago that I believed in the Truth of Jesus Christ. If you believe it or not, it is not for me to say. Or judge. And do not label me with that brush. And you know the brush I am talking about. But because I am a believer, I make certain choices I might not otherwise make. I take my children to church because I want to share my faith. I pray for my husband because he is my most valuable earthly relationship. I try my darnedest to treat people with love and respect...I am working on it. My commitment colors my choices.

Because I made a marriage vow to God and my husband, I stay. I work like crazy on it. I shut my mouth (not as much as I should!) and offer help and support. When the grass looks greener on the other side, I water my own. I work, believe, and pray. I choose. Because I am blessed to be a mom, I cook, clean, wipe noses, tie shoes, kiss cheeks, fill sippy cups, read stories, spray the hose, and so on... I work on building a safe and secure family for us. I try to choice effective words and choose to build fun and memorable days. I choose them.

Because I am a teacher, I love them. I listen to them. I search for the right answer and the right presentation. I take notes. I laugh with them. I encourage them. I choose to do this.

In no way is the right choice always the easy choice. Actually, it is usually the opposite. I was once in a discussion about how we have to be "understanding" because of the bad choices some people make. This is my response. I DO understand how the line can be drawn from A to B. That however, is not a certain. I understand how someone made a couple bad turns and ended up in a really bad place. I get it. More than you will know. But then does it color my expectations of them. Should I believe that is the only choice they could make? That their gift of choice was taken? Or could other choices be made? I seems even worse to explain away someone's potential. To hand them a card of escape.

However, choice is a gift. Strength comes from making one good choice. And then another. Just explaining why will not give you peace of mind. It gives you an excuse. I speak from personal experience. I had a perfectly good reason for yelling. I may have. I could rattle off reason after reason why I am justified in doing this and saying that. But it was the wrong choice. I could have made a different one.

With that comes the beauty of it all and the gift of free will. We all get the choice. Me, myself, and I. And at the end of the day, I am responsible and accountable for the choice I made. In that comes great strength and even greater responsibility.