dailydatewithgod

Did you hear the trumpets of nature announce with joy when you opened your eyes this morning?  Did you feel the earth move under your feet as you hit the ground?  Just because you didn’t notice it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.  I think that God is so excited when we get up in the morning and say yes to another day!  All kinds of energy surrounds us for the good.  Sometimes however, my mind seems to be a the foot of the bed like a little drill sergeant with a list of all the things that didn’t go well yesterday and I need to fix today, and of course how I will need to prove why I was given this day.  So which experience do you want?  You have a choice.  We may not like our choices, but we always have them. I came across an exercise many years ago when I started my teaching career.  LouAnn Johnson put in her book for teachers and it profoundly changed the way I look at the world.  The assignment for the students was to fill in the following sentence:  “I have to _____.”    Then once they filled it out they were to cross out the word have and replace it with choose.  Of course, the students began to argue immediately, but I have to do homework, I have to obey my parents, etc.  After a little discussion the students began to realize that things they saw themselves as having to do, were things they were making a choice to do because they did not want the consequences that came along with not doing them.  They recognized that they were choosing one consequence over the other.  We determined that death was pretty much the only thing they “had” to do.  Some left class enlightened, other s frustrated and I am sure some thinking I was just some crazy teacher.  The best lesson came the next day when a student shared an experience that he had incorporating this into his life.  He told me that he was talking to his dad who told him that he had to do his homework.  Alex proudly informed his dad  he had learned from Ms. Tracy that he didn’t have to do his homework, he chose to do his homework.  His dad then replied by saying, he didn’t care what Ms. Tracy said, he had to do his homework!  LOL!  It was then that I pointed out that as adults we also have difficulty with this concept.  It is more empowering to choose but it requires us to step up and take responsibility for our lives.  I need to remember that I am not alone in taking that responsibility, God is with me in my choices and I can look to him for guidance.  So while this morning I gladly embraced the trumpets and the warm hug from God as my eyes opened, tomorrow I might need his help to tell the drill sergeant that the war is over and she can retire.  My prayer for you today is that in a moment of thinking you “have to ____”, instead look at what you are choosing to do and own it.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen