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TITLE: Is Acceptance a Choice?
By Jane Criswell
01/15/04

Acceptance is such a convicting word. It means no backing out. No compromise. To take something graciously. But what if it is bad news? How are we suppose to take that graciously? Within our lives, we accept something every day. It can be compliments, good news, gifts, bad news, etc. It is so much easier to be thankful for the good things but I have learned that being thankful for the bad things often is much more fulfilling. When I was 18, my boyfriend told me that he had decided to join the Army and would be leaving in 2 weeks. I was devastated. He was my first love. The time came for him to leave and I had no choice to accept it. Two months after he was gone, I realized that I was pregnant. Once again, I accepted it. He opted to not proceed with our relationship nor a relationship with his daughter. He accepted the fact that he did not want to be a father. Nine months after my precious baby was born, I lost my father to a very sudden bout with cancer. It only took him 2 weeks to lose his life to this dreaded disease. I accepted that fact that he was gone. Now, I was alone with a new baby and still living at home with what now would be only my mother. She and I didnt get along very well. I was Daddy's girl. I accepted that things would be different. Five years ago, my mother passed away after being sick for four years with emphazema. She and I had grown to be best friends. What would I do? My daughter was 13 years old and now we would be alone. I had no choice. I had to accept it. So, throughout my life I have made many acceptances--some good, some not so good. However, the biggest acceptance I have ever made is to allow Jesus Christ to rule my life, my world. If my family and I would have not known Christ, we could not accept this adversity as God's Blessing. What is the best thing that could ever happen to you? Sure, I would like to win the lottery and quit my job but I am talking reality. The best thing that could happen to me is to have God ACCEPT me into Heaven as he did my parents. Their acceptance of Him may have caused me some earthly sorrow but to know that I will be with them in eternity, I accepted their death. As for my daughter, I accepted my responsibility and she is the love of my life. Her father recently changed his meaning of acceptance and after 17 years has accepted his daughter as a part of his life. She has accepted his return with some hesitancy but just like I told her, we always have a choice--accept or not accept? Which will you choose?

Heavenly Father, Help us to understand that in this life, acceptance is not a choice. It is what you do with it that makes the diffence. Thank you for accepting that your Son had to die to save us. Amen

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