I'm not much of a morning person and now that I've been retired for 11 years I sleep later. But there are thoughts that go through my mind as I face each new day.
Each morning I think of several things:
1. The song by the Goodmans titled "What A Beautiful Day for the Lord to Come Again."
It says something about
:
What a beautiful day for the Lord to come again,
What a beautiful day for Him to take His people home,
How I long to see His face and to touch His nail-scarred hands,
What a beautiful day for the Lord to come again.
and I think, well, He didn't come for me while I was sleeping, but this just might be the day..... (you gotta be a pre-trib dispensationalist to think this way)
2. A chorus we used to sing in the Baptist Church about
Just another day with Jesus
It's sweeter than the day before.
Just another day with Jesus
And I love Him more and more.
Jesus saves and keeps me
And He's the One I'm looking for.
Just another day with Jesus,
It's sweeter than the day before.
as I realize that He and I are joined together in our spirits and He is always with me
3. God's mercies are new every morning
Lamentations 3:21-24
any failures, screw-ups, missteps from yesterday are forgiven, under the blood, and forgotten and this is a new day in God's mercies. I can forget those things that are behind and reach out to what's ahead.
Someone said,
Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is a mystery
Today is a gift from God
That's why they call it "the present"
I some times think of a guy who went through cardiac rehab with me after my bypass surgery 13 years ago. I have no idea if he is still alive or not. He was not in as good a shape as I was. He had a tee shirt that said, "Any day above ground is a good day."
4. The daily prayer of Father Mychal Judge. Upon hearing the news that the World Trade Center had been hit by hijacked jetliners, Judge rushed to the site. He was met by the Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who asked him to pray for the city and its victims. Father Judge then rushed to those lying on the streets to administer last rites. He then entered the lobby of the World Trade Center north tower, where an emergency services command post was organized. The south tower collapsed and debris filled the north tower lobby, killing many inside, including Judge.
Five individuals took Judge outside in their arms. Upon entering the outside courtyard, they propped his body in a chair they found to carry him down the outside steps. It was then that Reuters photographer Shannon Stapleton snapped one of the most famous images of the attack, of a police officer, two firefighters and an OEM responder carrying out their fallen spiritual leader. See attached picture.
Father Judge's body bag was labeled "Victim 0001," recognized as the first official victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks. This is a prayer that he prayed every day. After reading it a couple of years ago, I make it one of my daily prayers:
Lord, take me where You want me to go today,
Let me meet who You want me to meet,
Tell me what you want me to say,
And keep me out of the way.
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