Your every day has its beginning, when you wake up, and its end, when you fall asleep. So it is with life itself—its awakening is birth, and its falling asleep is death.
So, in that sense, how’s your day? How’s it going? What stage are you at? What’s the weather like? Are you comfortable? Are you full of pep and energy? Are you exhausted, worn out, or discouraged. Are you so tired you want to go back to bed?
Were life but one day, what time is it for you now? Daybreak? Early morning? Mid-day? Late afternoon? Evening? Night fall?
You can’t answer all these questions, nor can I, since we don’t know what the day has in store for us nor how long it will last.
Speaking for myself, I think it’s probably later than Evening, probably Night fall. I’m slowing down, in need of rest, and things don’t seem so very clear anymore as the day darkens.
As I get older, many a night I’m fighting against falling sleep, less attentive to what I’m watching on television or reading. Strange behavior, no? Why not embrace the chance to rest and relax instead of resisting; why not trust God’s love and providence?
It’s not that I’m afraid that my day is over—even though my behavior may seem to give the contrary impression. And, I really have no clear idea whether my day is done or whether the Lord has some night work for me.
Life’s like that. Even slowing down, you never know how much more is still in store for you nor when the day will end.
Anyway, as Shakespeare put it, we strut and fret our hour upon the stage, until we are heard no more.
Truly, we each have a part to play in the plan of God, although we may hardly ever think of it or realize it. It’s only were we to see the whole work complete that we could see where and how we fit into the great design that includes all things and all of us.
Longevity should not be our goal, and it is no guarantee of our successful development or contribution.
Jesus was crucified in the late morning, barely mid-day, of his life—yet even so, he lived long enough to change the world forever.
If we seek to be counted among his good followers and disciples our life may be rich, complex, and long or as brief as that of Jesus or even shorter.
No matter! Length of time is not the main point. Your day may be relatively brief, but that’s all the service asked of you. And, even if the day seems long, hard, and maybe fruitless, so be it.
The “well-done, good and faithful” servant, may have a short span of life or long. It matters not, only that “Thy will be done,”
So, how’s your day? It’s a tough question to answer, for the day is still not over.
So far, so good?
Muddled and difficult to decide?
Confused and confusing?
Clear or clouded over?
Satisfying or frustrating?
Wonderful, beyond understanding?
Too long or too short?
You know, we don’t know and can’t know the final answers to these questions. We can’t accurately assess our lives while we are so busy living them. Our greatest achievement may have slipped by relatively unnoticed—or its day has not yet come.
Not being God has serious disadvantages and limitations—but if we at least purr in his presence or wag our tail for joy while seeking to follow him wherever he leads us, we might just possibly, unlikely and difficult though it may seem, have a great day!
26 March 2023