Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, Remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke. [Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 (MSG)]
In a “Family Circus” cartoon, written by Bil and Jeff Keane, Dolly wakes up and says, “I hope today is one of those days I never wanna forget.” Amen to that, girl! Isn’t that what we all hope for every day? What will it take for Dolly to have one of those days? What will it take for us to have a day we never want to forget?
With far more days behind me than are ahead, I want every day to be worth remembering. Nevertheless, some days are better than others and get pulled out of the memory file more often. Oddly, they aren’t the red-letter days—the weddings, graduations, birthdays, performances or holidays. Maybe it’s the unrealistic expectations or busyness that often accompany special occasions, but we rarely enjoy them as much as we thought we would. The kind of days about which Dolly is speaking, the days we never want to forget, usually come when we least expect them.
I had one such day last week as the family gathered together in California. It wasn’t, however, the special anniversary dinner party hosted by our children when everyone was dressed up and on good behavior. It came later in the week when our children and grands frolicked in the pool and had a water fight. Armed with water blasters, the youngsters squealed with delight as they soaked their parents and were drenched in return. My eyes leaked joyfully as I watched my loved ones laugh and play; it was raucous, rowdy, chaotic and absolutely wonderful. That was “one of those days” and it has been tucked within easy reach in my memory file. Then again, seeing two goldfinches perched on my windowsill first thing this morning was memory worthy, as well. In the end, it’s really not the events that make the day; it’s our attitude toward them!
As for those days we’d rather not remember—I confess to having had days, weeks and even a few months I’d rather not remember. While not exactly forgotten, by the grace of God, those memories have lost their sting and hurt no longer. They’re simply “once was enough” experiences that helped make me who I am. Placed in the back of my memory file, they’re retrieved only when absolutely necessary. Until then, I’ll enjoy today and, with God’s love and guidance, make it one of those days I’ll never want to forget.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the gift of this day—guide us in our walk so that we make it a day truly worth remembering.
My husband and I joke that our marriage survived because we agreed that whoever filed for divorce had to take sole custody of the children! Knowing that it took two of us to deal with the three of them, we stayed married. Now that the children are grown, we remain together because whoever files must relinquish all grandparenting rights. Since neither one of us is willing to forfeit time with the delightful grands, we continue to remain together. All joking aside, we’ll soon be commemorating a half century of marriage.
Immediately after finishing yesterday’s devotion about conflict and prayer, I received a call from a friend whose 11-year old granddaughter, Anna, has osteosarcoma (bone cancer). Having undergone chemotherapy for the past two months, she is scheduled for surgery this week. In the best case scenario, her knee and part of her femur will be removed and replaced by a metal prostheses; the worst case scenario involves complete amputation of the leg. In either case, more chemo and at least six to twelve months of physical therapy will follow.
In speaking about prayer recently, our pastor referred to the 2009 church-wide assembly of our denomination. Knowing that the agenda included some divisive topics, the Presiding Bishop asked the delegates to spend the 50 days leading up to the convention devoted to both prayer and the study of Scripture. Once the Assembly convened, there was heated discussion among the delegates about the writing of a statement on human sexuality. The debate about this controversial subject was unique because the Presiding Bishop, Mark Hanson, halted the proceedings every twenty minutes to lead the assembly in prayer. Delegates on opposing sides, who had been vehemently arguing minutes earlier, often would lay hands on one another and pray for each other during these breaks. Praying for unity in spite of their disagreements, the delegates showed respect and love for one another. Although the final statement passed by only one vote and there is still disagreement within the church about it, without those pauses for prayer, that debate could have caused far more damage to the church than did the tornado that accompanied the assembly.
Devotions of the Heart 