That used to be one of my familiar comments in the morning. I’m truly grateful that that was over years ago. Thank the Lord for changing my outlook in that area. Now, I greet mornings as my very own miracle. I do! I am astonished at myself for ever thinking or believing that it was ‘just another day’. The word ‘just’ in that phrase robs the essence of what it means. We are so blessed to wake up to a brand new day that is filled with possibilities, even if we haven’t planned anything in particular.
However, I do not wake up and begin my day, jumping on the bed or opening my shutters and singing, “The hills are alive with the sound of music!” Nothing quite that dramatic.
I know that it is our God, and only God who has created our Heaven and Earth. He ordained the dry lands and all the waters that eventually return back to the seas. The days are separate from nights and will continue as always from today until the end of time, just as He promised from the beginning.
Throughout my journey in life, even though each day may seem similar, in reality they are not. My thinking, my emotions, my circumstances are never identical to the day before, and they will be different again tomorrow.
I believe the key to life is to try not to worry about what tomorrow will bring. That’s very difficult to do, but the Lord tells us beforehand that each day has enough of its own trials. He promises to never give us more than we can handle in one day.
I’m not sure how you feel, Dear Reader, but I do have difficulty keeping myself in the ‘today’ mode. I don’t like surprises or situations that I’m not prepared for ahead of time, but I do know that worrying about them doesn’t change what will take place either.
We have all been at gatherings or staff functions etc. where there is a gift exchange, and after the Numbers game, you get to pick a package from the collection. They are all wrapped, look splendid, and are complete mysteries.
When our turn comes, we grasp the one that looks most intriguing to us, and rip it open. Some turn out great - beyond what we expected - while others are a bit of a disappointment, which we politely try to hide when we find very little inside the dazzling packaging.
Another day can be exactly the same. We won’t know until it has unwrapped itself. We do know that God’s promise is continual... from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same... yesterday, today and forever. That is something we know, and can count on. That is basic and reliable. No mystery, no false fancy packaging.
By midsummer I find myself happy with the tan lines from my flip-flops. They are reminders of how much I have been out enjoying the days of summer sunshine.
I love all of our seasons because each one brings such dramatic changes here on our Manitoba Prairie. No two days are the same.
It’s the changeover to the new season that I sometimes murmur and complain about. But it’s really a waste of energy, simply because there isn’t a thing I can do to prevent it, or hold back the changes that come with each new day.
"For everything there is a season, and He has made everything in its own time."
As I write this, I’m sitting out under the bluest of skies anywhere and feeling those warm, loving rays on my shoulders. I’m not thinking of winter, although sometimes I wish that it would stay like this. But it won’t, therefore we must make the most of each day we have.
Last summer in particular was definitely a year of transition and changes for me. I gained new experiences, learned many valuable lessons… mostly about myself. While I spent a lot of time at home, it was valuable because it led me to continually focus on drawing myself closer to the Lord.
None of this happened on just another day or by chance. It was by divine connection.
Every day, I try to remember as I open my front door and let the warmth come in, to immediately thank Him for another day that is filled with opportunity and perhaps a chance to do something special that would make someone else’s day brighter.
Blessings for you today, Dear Readers, as you experience & celebrate 'Today’.
Excerpted from the book "101 Promises" by Marlane Lillian Mazur.
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