APRIL 25, 2005

TODAY

So here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Think, wilt thou let it
Slip useless away?

Out of Eternity
This new day is born;
Into Eternity
At night will return.

Behold it afore time,
No eye ever did:
So soon it forever
From all eyes is hid.

Here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Think, wilt thou let it
Slip useless away?

–Thomas Carlyle

Think of the potential in each day! How many opportunities have been lost to serve God or to help other people today? Multiply that by the number of days you’ve been alive. Scarey!

Don’t use this realization to make yourself feel guilty about yesterday’s failures. And don’t let it turn into anxiety or frenetic activity. Rather, use it to focus on two or three significant things you can still do today to make a difference in your world.

The author of the Book of Hebrews preached a sermon that could be entitled “Today,” based on this Old Testament exhortation:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” (fr. Psalm 95:7-8; expounded on in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4)
He tells us that we should face up to the spiritual challenge of “every day, as long as it is called ‘today’ ” (Hebrews 3:13). Then we won’t have regrets tomorrow.

We spend too much time thinking about what we should do and planning how we’re going to do it. Before we know it, the day is over, and we still haven’t done it.

We all have different approaches:
“The Pessimist says, ‘It can’t be done!’
The Optimist says, ‘It can be done!’
The Peptomist says, ?I just did it.’ ” *
Lord, make me a Peptomist!

*From the Old Union Reminder

–George Van Alstine