“Being a woman of God in a crazy demanding world.”
I was talking with a great friend yesterday and when I asked how things were going, she said she was busy, lots going on. Then she said, “Of course, that’s the way I like it, it’s my choice to be busy”
She is so right. As we continued to talk about choices we make, I thought I’d share some of these things with you.
We are where we are today because of the choices we have made along the way. (gosh, that is a nice rhyme – ummm maybe a new song). Anyway, some are obvious; we chose to get married, or stay single. We decided to have children, or not. We decided to go to college, take a job, move, and so on. Some were easy choices, some were not. Some were conscious and others more subtle. We are a product of our choices.
When I was a Director in Mary Kay, and as I travel, I talk with so many women who feel they had no choice in their life. They felt stuck. Maybe you’ve felt this way before, maybe you do now. The truth is we do have a choice. We may not want to admit it, or maybe we don’t see any choice. Take another look.
- First, you have a choice of staying where you are, or making a change. The change of job, or city where you live, or relationships. It may be hard, may take monumental effort, but you can decide and make a different choice. By staying where you are and doing what you are doing, you are making a choice-to stay. Maybe just begin to think about what you would change if you could, then realize you can.
- Another choice is our attitude. Sometimes we have looked at something through negative eyes. We can change how you feel about it. Sometimes just a change in attitude can totally change our life from hating our job, for example, to realizing how blessed we are to have one, or maybe realize that God can use us to bless others in whatever job we have. Or we can do the item above and make an actual physical change.
- We have a choice in how we spend our days, each day. As I talked to my friend Barb, I related an ‘Ah Ha’ moment I had a few years ago. It is so vivid that I see it as clearly today as it was when it happened. I was in Mary Kay, and usually was busy all the time, between building my business, the kids, their activities, school, my church work, etc., life was in overflow. Then I had one of those days that I had no appointments, nothing on my calendar, and demands on my time. It was a Friday, a beautiful sunny day, and as I stood at the bottom of the stairs, I remember being so grateful, and I thanked God for the beautiful day and what a blessing it was to have a ‘free’ day. I felt so feel and lighthearted.
As I was praying and thanking Him for the day and ‘free’ time, a ‘free’ day, in my spirit He moved me. In the stillness and sunshine He whispered to my heart, “Everyday is your day”. WOW! Everyday is my day, and your day, to plan it, spend it, and do each day as we choose. It is hard to look at and realize that we actually do choose how we spend our days. Often it is running and going. We say ‘yes’ when we should say ‘no’. (BTW, No can be a powerful.) We give in to the events that happen instead of making events happen the way we choose.
We often find ourselves living our days as a reaction to what happens to us instead of being pro-active and making a conscious choice in how we spend it. This is so freeing. We really can do it. When we realize that we can decide how to spend our time, what we do , when we do it, where we go, then we have more joy and satisfaction, and don’t feel stuck or at a dead-end.
Here’s a tough one. A few years ago I had someone mention that I had a choice in how much I weigh. Now, that is my big issue, one that I’ve dealt with most of my life. So I was really insulted that he said that I ‘choose’ to be heavy. What? I Do not! Why would I choose to be this size? Those were my thoughts…. but after some real soul-searching, it is the truth. I talk about and think about it, but the truth is until it is important enough for me to do something about the weight issue, it is going to stay there. Until I choose to make a difference for me, choose to make different eating choices, ‘it’ is always going to be there. Yuck. Do I really have to take responsibility for all that? Yes, I’m afraid so.
How about you? How do you feel about your choices, are there some areas that you want to make a different choice?
I think we all do. We have a loving and gracious God. If we have made bad choices He is there to forgive, and then choose to forgive yourself. Choose gratitude, choose Christ, choose to love, choose to let go of things that hold you back. Choose today to be free. Free to decide what you want and what you feel God has for you. “This is the day that the lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Have a blessed day– it is your choice after all.
Delinda
Question- If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be? What would it take to make that choice?
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Hello my dear- Thanks for sharing that with me. As sisters in Christ it is so nice to be able to share with each other! So many people really don’t think they have choices, and that by not realizing there is a choice, they really are making a choice.. interesting right?
Have a blessed day! You are a blessing-D
Thank you for your terrific comments about choices. I have believed in life choices since I was told by my youth pastor when I was in hight school and pregnant that if I married my boyfriend, or gave the baby up for adoption, or keep him and be a single mom, that was a choice that I could make and there were consequences for all. It was so clear to me what choices were and it has stayed with me since then. I did get married to my highschool sweetheart and was married to him for 18 years before I lost him to cancer and have an wonderful son that I wouldn’t have given up for anything. Sadly I have little tollerance for people who blame everything on other people, circumstances, etc. and refuse to see that they have choices. I know choices can be very difficult and sometimes we make the wrong choice. I remind myself when I make the wrong choice that I made the choice. No one twisted my arm. Sometimes making a choice keeps peace in relationships that are important to me. Right now I am struggling with several choices that are really bugging me and request prayers for God to guide my decisions. Thanks again for your blogs and comments. You are a wise woman and I am so greatful that you are my friend and that friendship is another of Gods great gifts to me. Love ya!