Happy late Mother's Day!
It was a delightfully serene Sunday here in North Georgia. Below are some pictures of the hydrangea Mark bought me to celebrate {no, this is not a baby announcement, Mark just likes any excuse to buy me little tokens to show his love}.
Aren't they beautiful? I cannot wait to plant them at my new house when we move in June!
For the last few days I've been thinking about the importance of choices. I've been recently reminded about the dangers of making foolish decisions. The Bible is full of examples of people choosing wisely or foolishly as the case may be, and in the book of Judges {where I'm currently reading} entire nations were affected by the choices and decisions of one man or woman.
To go along with my scripture reading, I've also been reading Beyond the Shadowlands by Wayne Martindale. It is all about C.S. Lewis' philosophy on Heaven and Hell. I don't know of anyone who can draw a better illustration or encourage the soul toward imagining and desiring Heaven more than Lewis.
Wayne writes about C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce "it [The Great Divorce] makes us grasp the truth that 'there is no neutral ground in the universe.' It points up the further truth that we bring into our earthly experience intimations of either Heaven or Hell by our choices. We are becoming every moment souls suited for one or the other" [79 emphasis, mine].
The unfortunate soul who chooses his/her own pleasure and desires (loves his/herself) over sacrifice and whole-hearted, abandoned service and love to God at the end of his/her life finds their soul more suited for Hell than Heaven. These choices that move our soul in one direction or the other are not the big ones with flashing neon lights that blindingly blink "Life Changing Choice." They are the small choices, the little word, the kind thought, the gentle response, that we make and face almost every moment of every day.
As a teacher, I am constantly reminded that my little words can make a big difference in a young students' day/life. A word thoughtlessly uttered has the power to crumple the dreams and hopes of a human being, and a word spoken with kindness and love has the ability to save a life. Words have power. With the last day of school for the year coming to a close, I can only pray that the choices I made with my words built up the young lives in my charge, and the choices and words uttered thoughtlessly will be forgotten or negated by the love of my Savior.
Where are you choosing to go by your small actions? Is your soul becoming more suited for Heaven or Hell?
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