Saturday, July 2, 2011

This Good Day

I love the simple little song by Fernando Ortega entitled "This Good Day." He speaks of walking to Woodman's Cove and watching the fishing boats leaving, while thru the noisy chorus of the birds, God speaks to him. Even in the midst of a sunny day, he sings:
If rain clouds come or the cold wind blows,
You're the One who goes before me
And in my heart I know that
This good day, it is a gift from You.
The world is turning in it's place
Because You made it to.
I lift my voice to sing a song of praise
On this good day.
Amen, Lord! Forgive me for being so persnickety! How many daily, common blessings I miss on "this good day" because of my selfish busyness and drivenness. Have I stopped to really tell my husband and my children how much I treasure each of them? And that I love them immeasurably--not because of what they do or how they act or what they accomplish, but simply because they are God's gift to me and to the world? Have I slowed down long enough today to thank the Lord for this good day and for allowing me another day to breathe and love and live to His glory?
No, I'm afraid I am too often characterized by striving and unrest rather than peace and joy. But in the words of the Psalmist: "Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." (Ps.16:5-6) Help me, Lord, to translate what I know and believe in my heart into my attitudes and actions and words. Thank You for this good day that You have made and given to each of us. You have given us these 24 irreplaceable hours to walk with and worship You and to love unconditionally those You have placed in our lives as part of our "delightful inheritance." Thank You for Your extravagant grace in assigning me the portion and cup that includes my husband and my five precious children. O Lord, help us to love like Jesus! Never in a hurry. Never irritated at intrusions. Never preoccupied with what He had to do but rather with who He had to heal and teach and encourage.
"I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure." Ps. 16:8-9 When we choose daily, hourly to set Him before us, then we will rejoice, remain strong, and rest secure. I am so weak, so prone to selfishness and sin that I simply need to refocus on Him every hour of the day... to continually remember to "set the Lord always before me." And when we do that, He will enable us to rejoice and rest and love like Him... in this good day... in this delightful inheritance... in the immeasurably precious people He has lent to us for a short time. On this good day, help us to love like Jesus! To Him be the glory.

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