Choose This Day…Choose This Moment

“Choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
~Joshua 24:15

I’ve had quite a few late nights and long days recently…I’ve had some difficult situations come up that I’ve had to deal with and problems to solve. And let me tell you getting to bed at mid-night and waking up and 6:30 AM doesn’t really help matters.

I found myself getting easily angered, beyond frustrated, and very discouraged. Instead of taking a step back and seeking God’s counsel I rushed right into problem solving mode. Terrified that the issue would always remain. I became defensive and lashed out at those around me for no good reason. The past few days I’ve let the stress of this issue really get to me.

Now that this issue is behind me I can take a look back. I know now that there were some things that I should have waited to pursue until I had had some more sleep. That would have helped immensely. I know that I could have been a  LOT more patient in dealing with the issue at hand.

Looking back I can say that I’ve learned a lesson or two.

I’ve learned that choosing to serve God is more than a daily decision. It’s a moment by moment decision. In the heat of the moment when feelings are raw, frustration and fear are high, and you just want to be DONE. It’s in that moment that we choose to serve God. It won’t come easy.

It’s a whole lot easier to blame everyone else in the near vicinity for this issue that we all know had absolutely nothing to do with it  (After all they did try to warn you a month ago…). It’s easier to lash out your anger and irritation at those we know rather than those on the other side of the screen (Often times it takes them several minutes to actually figure out what the problem might be and it usually helps if they have all the information)…

It’s making the decision–choosing to respond in love when you feel like love wasn’t shown to you.

It’s being patient when you feel like you’ve tried to explain yourself very clearly twice before and they still don’t get it.

It’s remembering that even when we have a rough day the person on the other end may have too.

It’s being the aroma of Christ to a dying world (2:15).

This isn’t easy. In fact it’s downright hard. But, we need to remember that we have help. We’re told that we have nothing to fear because God is our strength, salvation, and light (Psalm 27:1, 3-5). We can be confident in what He has done, who He is, and what He will do. He’s got this. We’ve got to be patient and let Him work (Psalm 27:14, Phil. 1:6)! 

And another thing I learned…Southern accents and patience go a long way in providing some hope and encouragement! 😉

Until next time,

Bailey Sue

P.S. Like the picture above? I’ve added it to my shop! You can view and purchase products HERE. (As of 2020, this shop no longer exists).