My Daily Choices

This summer, my husband, kids and I attended our annual family reunion on my husband’s mom’s side of the family. My husband’s grandparents gather us there together every year. Each year, we play a game to help us understand and remember Grandpa and Grandma’s background and the decisions they made to get them where they are today. Many of those decisions included Grandpa’s proposal to Grandma (despite the fact that she was engaged to someone else), the cars they bought, and what led them to sell the dairy farm they owned for many years. (Many more family secrets that I shall not divulge :))

One of the things that struck me this year is that we all were sitting there in that room because of their choices. There were about 15 of us gathered there, all because of the choices that Grandma and Grandpa made throughout their life.

They made the choice not only to get married despite a few obstacles, the choice to have children, the choice to stay together despite thick and thin, and even the choice to save their money so that we could enjoy family reunions together. As I watched them, I realized I wanted what they have. I want the ability to sit in the middle of a room with my extended family gathered around me, hearing the good choices we made, and passing it along to their kids and grand kids. I want this!

I realized that we have no idea of the larger purpose that we are fulfilling. Each of our small daily choices and decisions impact our future and our childrens’ futures for generations to come.

We see this example in the Bible with Ruth’s life. Her choice to follow her mother-in-law from Moab to Bethlehem affected her lineage for hundreds of generations. When she made it to Bethlehem, she met Boaz, and ended up marrying him. He was what is called a “kinsman-redeemer”, someone who was a relative who volunteered to take responsibility for extended family. They had kids and grandkids, one being David, and all of these people were in the lineage of Jesus Christ, our ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer. He is the one who saved us from our sins and who we have eternal life through. Wow. What a good choice for Ruth to go to Bethlehem!

10 “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.

Each day we make choices . . . choices to save or to spend, choices to be discontent with our spouse so much that it ends in destruction of our marriage, choices even to honor our mother-in-law. In forty years I want to be sitting around a room with my offspring and my childrens’ offspring celebrating the wise choices that my husband and I have made. I am not perfect, but my kinsman-redeemer is and He will guide me if I am willing to learn and to trust Him with my daily choices.

4 Responses to My Daily Choices
  1. Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn
    August 24, 2010 | 6:09 am

    What a great and timely post Desiree, thanks so much for sharing it today!

    ~ Melissa

  2. gina kluge
    August 24, 2010 | 9:01 am

    Great words of wisdom !

  3. Leann
    August 24, 2010 | 9:23 am

    Have you heard the song “Generations” by Sara Groves? This reminds me of that.

    “Remind me of this with every decision.
    Generations will reap what I sow.
    I can pass on a curse or a blessing
    to those I will never know.”

  4. Darlene Williamson
    September 5, 2010 | 9:25 am

    Desiree,

    Love this article about your grandparents. Thanks so much for sharing. I will have to check out your blog.

    Darlene