Choices change our lives…
By Barbara Dahlgren
Life can be overwhelming and very intimidating. Just thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow and the next day and the next day can drain our energy and make us feel like doing nothing.
Sometimes it’s easier to think of life in smaller increments – like one day at a time or even one moment at a time. I remember the old gospel song One Day at a Time by Christy Lane. She asks God to help her make it through – one day at a time. Sometimes we might even need to ask God to help us make it through – moment by moment.
Here’s a little poem I found in my file that’s worth remembering…
Moment by Moment
Tomorrow’s plan I do not know,
I only know this minute
But He will say, “This is the way,
By faith now walk ye in it.”
And I am glad that it is so,
Today’s enough to bear,
And when tomorrow comes
His grace shall far exceed its care.
What need to worry then, or fret?
The God who gave His Son
Holds all my moments in His hand
And gives them one by one.
~Anonymous
Sometimes when we think of all the things we should do to be a better Christian, it can also get overwhelming. That’s why I have my “just for today” plan. I pick out one quality or characteristic I want to practice and concentrate on doing it “just for today.” Then tomorrow I pick another one. Your list will be different than mine since we all have varying strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Just for today…
- I will start my day with a little prayer.
- I will read a passage from the Bible.
- I will be happy for someone else.
- I will secretly do a good deed for someone.
- I will not criticize.
- I will tell God specifically something I’m thankful for.
- I will mind my own business.
- I will say “please” and “thank you.”
- I will control my tongue.
- I will smile a lot.
- I will not get angry.
- I will eat a vegetable.
- And so on and so forth…
Anyway, you get the idea. If we take things we want to do in bite size pieces, it’s not quite as overwhelming or intimidating. Sometimes it’s more profitable to think of what we did get done than all we have left to do.
Consider this… These “just for today” things we do will enhance our lives and the lives of others – even if it is “just for today.”
One final thought… In the words the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, Charles Schulz: “Life is like an ice cream cone; you have to lick it one day at a time.”
