Thirty Days- Day Five- Good Choice, Bad Choice

Tonight, as we were wrapping up the bedtime routine, I told the girls I wanted them to make good choices tomorrow. I said, "I don't want you to be good for Mama & Daddy. I don't want you to be good just because God wants you to be. I want you to WANT to be good."

I want to be good. Oh man, do I ever. But some days I just can't. I can't do it! I made bad choices over and over again. The more you make, the more upset/angrier/explosive/aye carumba you get.

Piper makes bad choices (she's a kid....they're going to come one right after another). In fact, one of our recent school lessons talked about choices we make and the consequences. Tonight, Piper made a choice to talk to her best friend during the lesson at SMCC Kid's Night. The consequence? Daddy & I decided not to let them sit together next week. She cried. I felt horrible. But she understood that she made a bad choice and that it needed to be corrected. She WANTS to be good.

That was my morning- bad choices. I was snippy with the girls, I was snippy with Bryce, I didn't want to talk to anyone...all because of some trivial man-made EXPENSIVE item of mine that refused to work today. I stressed. I worried. I dwelt. Repeat cycle. It made me grumpy. The more I stressed, worried and dwelt, the grumpier I got. I WANTED to be good; I truly did. But I JUST. COULDN'T. DO. IT.

Yah, finally it all went away and I felt better, but still...I ruined a perfectly good morning by making bad choices. And this has happened, happens and will happen because I am profoundly and simply human.

We make mistakes. We live with those mistakes. Some we can rectify. Others we can't. But it is OUR CHOICE. We make those choices. Someone doesn't make them for us. God isn't standing there with one of those giant fingers pointing the right path for us (well, sometimes He is and we choose not to see Him). We have free will to do whatever we want, any old time. There are consequences for every action.

Tomorrow, I want to be good because I WANT to be good. I want to make good choices tomorrow. I want to remember that I am not perfect, but I can always do better. Yes, my kids will still be whiny and maybe B will be crabby; maybe our concert practice won't go well. It's. O. Kay.

So, uh, there you have it. My thoughts for tonight as I am readying myself to spend the evening without my laptop because it won't turn on. UGH. It's cool. I've got some knitting to do and a hubby who will let me watch a movie that I like (none of that nasty Quentin Tarantino stuff.....I like him, but I just can't watch Inglorious Basterds....too much for me).

One last thought: let me encourage you to do the same. Make good choices tomorrow. Weigh the options. Live with the consequences and admit when you make mistakes. It might just be one of the best days you've had.