I Choose To.....

Dr. Robert Schuller said it well: “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” And mercy, don’t I remember those tough times — days when the bills piled up, and the calendar still insisted the month wasn’t over. Yet somehow, we made it. Not because we were strong, but because we leaned on the One who is.

We learned early that toughness wasn’t gritting our teeth — it was choosing to trust. Choosing to rejoice. Choosing to believe that our Heavenly Father would give us wisdom, faith, and a way through. Habakkuk understood that kind of grit when he said:

“Though the fig tree does not blossom… though the fields produce no food… yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will shout in exultation in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

That little phrase “I choose to” is powerful. Because let’s be honest — choosing joy isn’t always natural. Choosing trust isn’t either. Worry comes easy. Doubt practically volunteers.

And then comes that familiar Bible story — Jesus feeding thousands with one small lunchbox. The disciples saw the crowd. Jesus saw the Provider.

The disciples counted the loaves. Jesus lifted them and gave thanks — not after the miracle, but before it . (John 6:11). He thanked God for the “not-enough,” trusting the Father to turn it into “more-than-enough.” Which He did… with leftovers.

Maybe that’s our invitation too.

Thanksgiving isn’t reactive; it’s proactive. It’s choosing joy not because we have plenty, but because we have Him. It’s remembering that while we may not see how, we know WHO.

Do you have a “not-enough” situation right now?
Rent due but the car acting up.
A job that feels like a brick wall.
A child struggling and you can’t fix it.

Here’s what I’m learning: these moments are not dead ends — they are doorways. They usher in the peace of Philippians 4:7, the strength of Nehemiah 8:10, and the promise of Ephesians 3:20 — that God will do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

So today, I choose to rejoice. I choose to trust. I choose to thank Him before the miracle — knowing the Provider is already on the move. How about you?

#choosejoyeveryday #ChooseTrust #FaithOverFear