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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 the 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 the 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 him to do so.
Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank
God for a moment to pray.
Instead of clinching 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
has treated me.
I choose goodness...
i will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.
I will
be overlooked before I will boast.
I will confess before I will
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 wife 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 be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be
only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only 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 get 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, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-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.
Max Lucado
When God Whispers Your Name
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