Forest of the Plains

I need this reminder today, so you all get to read it, too! This was in the monthly newsletter of the church I attended while in college – Lafayette Church of the Brethren in Lafayette, Indiana. I keep it posted at my desk as a reminder of what my priorities should be. It doesn't always work, but it usually helps!

Based on Galatians 5:22-23. Adapted by Enten Pfaltzgraff Eller. Original author unknown.

Today is My Choice.

It's quiet. It's early. The sky is still black. The world is asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. For the next fifteen 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, today 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 recognize God as 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 fully live. And I will strive to treat all peoples as my sisters and brothers, no matter what race or nationality or orientation, for in fact, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

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 becoming angry 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 that 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. Any 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 the 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 seek God and God's righteousness, and let the other things come as God grants them.

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 God's grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.