Of Making a Choice

I slept in this morning.  It was my choice to wait to get up until 8:30 even when I know Bible Study starts at 9-ish (yes, this decision had a lot to do with the fact that I, once again, failed to get a good night's sleep).  It was my choice to give myself only a half hour to get two kids and myself dressed, ready and fed (the third child I had, in a brief moment of wisdom, dressed and readied before nursing him at 7am - before he fell back asleep in my bed where I, too, dozed until that 8:30 waking).

Thus, knowing the potential stress surrounding such a time-crunching decision, I made another choice.

I chose to be patient and kind in a situation where I so often get it wrong - yelling, rushing, and scolding until we are all in the worst mood possible before getting out the door.  I chose to enter my kids' room with a smile and quietly listen to their excitement over the books they'd been reading as they waited for me to come in.  Of course, I listened while I got things prepared, pulling clothes from the drawers, diapers from the shelf, but I listened - and that matters.  But most importantly, I made a choice for us to start our day well.

And, yes, I was out the door by nine (I love living a mere mile from the church) - which is exactly the time I would have been out the door had I not made the choice to be kind.  Had I been harsh and hurried, I would have gained nothing but sour kids, with hurt hearts and a mean mommy.

This is the lesson I get wrong more often than not: Being punctual is never worth a loud voice, harsh words or a bad attitude.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking to my heart today before I even rose from my bed - because, today (just today), I got it right.

1,000 Gifts:
497. Lysol - banishing the bad germs and yucky feelings of unseen terrors
498. A decision to dedicate this day to the Lord (and praying the same decision is made tomorrow and the next day . . .)
499. God-given opportunities
500. Children, entertaining themselves, not with loud voices or unintended violence, but with the quietness found in the pages of books.


Photos of the Day: Daddy had a little backyard time with our oldest cuties.