Making Good Choices

These days, Dennis and I are really trying to teach Oliver how to make good choices. For example, it's a good choice for Oliver to let Buttercup play with his Lincoln Logs. And it's a bad choice for Oliver to hit Buttercup over the head with the Lincoln Log box because she accidentally knocked his tower over.

But making good choices isn't just for kids. While I'm not prone to hitting people on the head with a toy box, it's very easy to be impatient and say a harsh word, or use a harsh tone of voice, just because I'm tired, frazzled, or stressed and don't feel like putting forth the effort. I know that we've all been there.

So it was really eye-opening that this was my devotional the other day: Though we are too apt to think that we are not accountable for our words--He who is to be our Judge, has plainly told us that "for every careless word which men speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36

I've read the verse before, but never really took the time to really think about it. Wow. I will be accountable for every.little.word. that I say. That is some serious stuff! And then I realized that my heavenly Father -- the Creator of everything! -- is patiently teaching me how to make good choices, at the same time that I'm trying to teach Oliver how to make good choices.

Wow, again.

You know, it's pretty cool the way God works. :-)