Choice's Blessings - Therefore Choose Life
“I have set before you life and death, therefore chose life, that both thou and thy kin may live.”
One of the greatest gifts of this life is the right to choose. Every person can choose to go down that road or this; to eat meat or vegetables; to study and pass or not study and flunk; to till the soil or practice law. To make a choice certifies that we are alive.
It is the exercise of choice that gives meaning to one’s life. Without making choices we can accomplish nothing, but find ourselves being pushed right or left, up or down, forward or backward like a leaf in the wind.
Yet, sometimes we give up this gift of choice. We may acquiesce rather than incur the wrath of a parent or guardian. We may find it easier to follow the lead of a friend than to assert our right to choose. Giving up the right once makes it easier to give it up again, and again until we forget that we have the right to choose.
The person, or institution, that kindly relieves us of making choices may well feel that they are making life easier for us. They may even feel that we should feel grateful for their kindness. What they fail to recognize is that their repeated actions take from us an important function that gives shape and meaning to our lives.
Institutional caretakers often find it easier and more efficient to do things for a resident rather than take the time for him to do them for himself. While commendable, such action may be harmful to the resident. The caretaker should take the time to encourage the patient to do for himself all those tasks within his physical and mental capabilities.
Usually, institutions have general rules that permit residents to make choices regarding most of their activities. Making these choices enables residents to maintain a life of responsibility and satisfaction. By their actions or words members of the staff should find occasions to commend residents for their responsible choices.
The scripture admonishes us to choose life. Let’s do so in every aspect of life and during every day of our lives. Let’s use our blessed right of choice to extract from every minute the opportunities available to us as individuals, family members and citizens. Scorn every effort to rob us of our right to choose, no matter what person or institution attempts to do so.
Jerry Clements 7/5/06
One of the greatest gifts of this life is the right to choose. Every person can choose to go down that road or this; to eat meat or vegetables; to study and pass or not study and flunk; to till the soil or practice law. To make a choice certifies that we are alive.
It is the exercise of choice that gives meaning to one’s life. Without making choices we can accomplish nothing, but find ourselves being pushed right or left, up or down, forward or backward like a leaf in the wind.
Yet, sometimes we give up this gift of choice. We may acquiesce rather than incur the wrath of a parent or guardian. We may find it easier to follow the lead of a friend than to assert our right to choose. Giving up the right once makes it easier to give it up again, and again until we forget that we have the right to choose.
The person, or institution, that kindly relieves us of making choices may well feel that they are making life easier for us. They may even feel that we should feel grateful for their kindness. What they fail to recognize is that their repeated actions take from us an important function that gives shape and meaning to our lives.
Institutional caretakers often find it easier and more efficient to do things for a resident rather than take the time for him to do them for himself. While commendable, such action may be harmful to the resident. The caretaker should take the time to encourage the patient to do for himself all those tasks within his physical and mental capabilities.
Usually, institutions have general rules that permit residents to make choices regarding most of their activities. Making these choices enables residents to maintain a life of responsibility and satisfaction. By their actions or words members of the staff should find occasions to commend residents for their responsible choices.
The scripture admonishes us to choose life. Let’s do so in every aspect of life and during every day of our lives. Let’s use our blessed right of choice to extract from every minute the opportunities available to us as individuals, family members and citizens. Scorn every effort to rob us of our right to choose, no matter what person or institution attempts to do so.
Jerry Clements 7/5/06
posted by Jeremiah | 9:40 AM
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