06.22.06

The Right To Choose

Posted in Janet's Posts at 5:30 am by Janet

Hey Everybody,

It’s early Thursday morning, Max is in my office pursuing a spider, John is pursuing a few more ‘zzzz’ and I was thinking a note to you all was overdue.

This has been a terrific early summer. I’m having more fun than ever with my concerts and travelling; Moe and Maggie2 are getting along smashingly, and Max and I are spending quality time in my dad’s vegetable garden, as well as my own tiny corner garden from which we’ve already gleaned tomatoes, lettuce, cukes (that’s vegetable garden vernacular for cucumbers), onions and squash. A veritable Martha Stewart without the attorney fees.

I hit pay dirt at a recent concert in South Carolina. First of all, some friends brought two baskets of those unmatched SC peaches that make you grateful for taste buds. I was like a scavenger, cleaning the pits, as though God wasn’t going to grow anymore. The concert sponsor loaded my car with beautiful, healthy begonias and geraniums which will stay that way for a while (John says I wean all my plants off water). Another gentleman, Tom, emailed me a lovely story which I’ll share with you (since the peaches are gone.)

One of the songs in the concert, I Love Today, reminded him of a recent event. An elderly man whose wife had died was being moved from his home to a rest home facility. Tom was ushering him to his room for his initial visit. In an effort at conversation, Tom told the gentleman that his room had lovely decor, etc., and the older gentleman’s eyes lit up and he said, “I love it.” Knowing that he had not seen the room, Tom gently stated that, of course, he couldn’t know that until he had seen it, he was certain he would like it. The older gentleman explained, “Oh, but you see, I’ve already decided that I love it. I wake up every morning and I have a choice – I can be a victim to my aches and pains or I can decide to savor the day and love being in it. So, I know that I love it.”

My nephew told me of a conversation with an evangelist from India. He told Benjamin that his parents chose his wife from a distant city and they did not meet until their wedding day. I’m sure Benjamin was wide-eyed at that prospect, but the evangelist continued, “When I first saw her, I loved her. It didn’t matter if she was tall, short, beautiful, or comely because I had made up my mind before we met that I loved her. Love is a decision, and I decided to love her.” That was ten years and four children ago.

A friend of mine says that everyone has “stuff.” I’ve made the mistake in the past of looking at someone who was healthy or wealthy or wise, and assuming that their life was carefree and seamless. As I have gotten older (and older and older) I realize that everybody has ‘stuff’ in their lives sooner or later, whether it be cancer or loss or discord or discontent. A few years ago Carol Cymbala and I were having tea in the lobby of Nashville’s lovely Union Station Hotel when she slipped a scrap of paper across the table. On it was the handwritten chorus of ‘He’s Been Faithful To Me.’ She said she’d been unable to come up with verses. I said to her, “You know, Carol, I look at you and I think you have everything – amazing talent, a wonderful husband, beautiful children, an incredible church family – and I think you must sail through life unencumbered because you are so blessed.” Of course, you all know the story of their long, private pain – and I realized once more that everybody has ‘stuff.’

One of my favorite Bible stories has Paul imprisoned for years without charge, beaten and denied beyond description, yet when he is hauled from his cell to stand before King Agrippa, his very first statement is “I think myself happy, King Agrippa…” One version writes, “I’m a happy man…”

So, I’m going to pull on my New Balance shoes, grab my iPod Shuffle, and hit the sidewalk with Max. My knees may protest, but at least they’ll be working; my stamina may fall short of stellar, but my heart will be strong; my speed may not be swift, but I’m in it for the long haul. I’ve decided to love today. I’ve decided to embrace every moment – the ups, downs, and in-betweens. This day does not come with a second chance and, if I choose, I can find joy in it. I choose.

We love you – Let us hear from you.

Blessings,
Janet