| 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 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 love.
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 joy.
I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose peace.
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
clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them
with joy and courage.
I choose patience.
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 kindness.
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 loved ones will not question my love. And my children
will never fear that their parent will not come home.
I choose faithfulness.
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 gentleness.
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, 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.
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