Choices with Lifechanging Effects

Choices.

We all have them. Every day. We may have a different one each second. How do we make the choices we make? What motivates us?

Do I eat the cookie my mom just baked...What do I make for the meals today...Should I take meat out of the freezer for tomorrow and if so, what...When to clean what...Which laundry to do first...What bath soap do I want to use...Do I shave my legs today...What clothes am I going to wear...What story do we read tonight...Do I make time to read myself today...What CD am I going to listen to while I do the dishes...Is today a ponytail day...How do I respond to my kids/husband/dog at this very moment...Can I afford a few minutes to blog right now...Do I have time to relax for a minute or two...Do I take time to elevate and/or ice my ankle (I know that one is more specific to me right now)...and so on and so on and so on.

The choices are endless. Some choices have become rote wherein we may not even realize that a choice is being made.

But it is.

Recently I've been seeking the Lord for a fresh new way to communicate with Barber regarding his choices.

He is our four year old. Full of energy and questions - attempting independence at inappropriate times yet receptive to correction. It then seems to have been forgotten way too quickly for my liking and I soon tire of correcting the same behavior every six seconds (yes...I am exaggerating and I know this is a run-on sentence but that somehow seems appropriate for the needed explanation of my four year old). He has a zest for life, a leap in his step and loves to giggle and relish in the joy of living. Even better, he likes to make everyone else giggle too. It's rare that there isn't a sparkle in his eye and some form of grin on his face which can be anywhere from a smirk to a full blown wide smile. His natural motivation has been extrinsic in nature...so how do I facilitate intrinsic motivation as well. How do I prepare him during this year to handle the new responsibilities of preschool and soccer? How is this done so that the essence of Barber is not squelched? I have been petitioning these and many other questions, seeking wisdom from the Father, Creator of all things - including my beloved Barber.

I like to read but when I am facing a new challenge with my kids I don't look for a book. The author doesn't know my children. But God does. He created them with their unique personalities and made me their Mommy. He also promises that when I seek Him and ask questions He will answer me. So that is what I do - knowing that He is not going to leave my high and dry.

So what is the answer to my multitude of questions? Well today it had to do with talking about choices. It really isn't new - there was just a different twist today. Raising the bar so to speak. And that is exactly what I did early this morning. I talked to the boys about choices and why/how we make our choices throughout the day. We talked about how everything we do (words we speak, actions we take, etc.) is a form of worship and either we are worshipping God or we're not. You might think that this is a bit too adult for my boys. I disagree. Especially when this same four year old gave us a dissertation about Josiah on the ride home from church this past Sunday. We learned "how Josiah became king when he was only eight years old and he found a scroll while he was searching through some stuff and the scroll told him what God wanted him to do so he cleaned out all the bad stuff in his kingdom and that cleaning of the bad stuff told God how much he loved Him. Yup. And that was a good thing he did. Yes it was." So, no, this approach was definitely not beyond their understanding. Besides I knew this is what God told me to do so I just had to do it and trust Him to take care of the details. That is my Parenting 101. I ask God and then do what He says. This doesn't mean everything is super easy but how freeing it is to recognize that I'm not supposed to be the expert. I just need to listen to and obey The Expert.

I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering what happened next, right? Was our day perfect? Hello...they are 4 and 7. No it wasn't perfect but it was much improved and this new tool of communication was a huge success in my book. I will continue to utilize it and adjust accordingly as I receive direction from Him because that is what works.

My favorite part of the day was when Barber looked at me with his wonderful grin and asked

"Mommy, do you know what I choose today? I choose to worship Jesus because I love God so much!"

That alone makes everything worth it.