Inspirational Sunday

Bill Witcher, co-founder of Computer School for Seniors will be sharing words of encouragement, inspiration and hope with you each Sunday.

The Choice is Ours

Max Lucado is one of my favorite Christian authors. He is a minister, author and the daily speaker of the radio program Upwords. He has written many books including The Applause of Heaven, In the Eye of the Storm, He Still Moves Stones and the one I will quote from today, When God Whispers Your Name.

He is a communicator. His writing style is down-to-earth, meaningful and filled with his unique sense of humor. He reaches me. He touches my head and my heart. As I read one of his books, I usually find myself nodding my head, smiling from ear to ear or wiping away a tear.

For today and next Sunday, I would like to share a chapter from his book When God Whispers Your Name about the choices we make. Every day we make numerous choices. Some good...some bad. The point Max Lucado makes is that the choice is ours. We choose how we want to live our life. We choose what kind of a day we will have. Here's what Max has to say on the subject...

"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 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 complain 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 along. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me."

Next Sunday, I'll continue to share what Max Lucado has to say about the choices we make.