The Choice

Rise and shine, five more minutes, tumble slowly out of bed;

There is no rock like our God.   

Scroll through Facebook, glance at email, what’s new on Instagram;

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.

Grind the coffee, heat the water, check the weather for today;

Be still and know that I am God.

Read the Bible, pray the list, pull back thoughts that wander off;

There is a river whose streams make glad the heart of God.

COVID stats, should I make masks? mental note to call a friend;

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

Cook the oatmeal, write an email, drag my youngest out of bed;

Fix your thoughts on Jesus.

Text a friend, wipe the counters, start a list of tasks to do;

His mercies are new every morning.

Solve for x, thank a donor, calm a fear of college life;

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Plan the lesson, thaw the meat, help a student play the chords;

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Grade the quiz, revise the draft, it must be coffee time;

In quietness and comfort is your strength.

Start the laundry, stop the grumbling, make a list of prayer requests;

He will quiet you with His love.

Water plants, move the laundry, make a call to Africa;

I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Scan the headlines, how much longer, is there someone I can bless?

The name of the Lord is a strong tower.

Teach the Cold War, buy some groceries, let the music cheer me on;

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

Prep the meal, eat together, let the tasks remain undone;

Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Sit a spell; relax, unwind; for good or ill the day is used;

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Continuing drudgery or captivating delight: the choice is ours each day.