I Choose

Aum Sairam

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 the 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
complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to
pray. Instead of clenching 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 alone. Kind to the rich, for
they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has
treated me.

I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be
overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.

I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust.
My associates will not question my word. My loved ones will not
question my love. And my children will never fear that their parent
will not come home.

I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice,
may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in
prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of me.

I choose self-control...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-
control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my
faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I
will give thanks.

If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done, I
will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Allah Malik