I have a friend whose child has been seriously ill for a very long time. It’s the type of illness that requires relentless care, and the road to healing is erratic and uncertain. My friend is exhausted, desperately hoping for a break and fearful of what lies ahead. Today she wrote that her daughter is having a good day and things seem better.
I wrote back, with a smile, “No one can ever take today from you. It is yours. Tomorrow can’t take it from you, nor the bump in the road next week or month or year. Own today, rest in it, be thankful for it. Tomorrow will be what tomorrow will be. Rejoice in today.”
It can be extremely hard to rejoice in today when we are desperate to see today’s happiness as an indicator of how tomorrow will go. It’s natural to hope that a positive day is the start of a turnaround, yet it’s also rather like getting a gift and immediately asking for more. Our first responsibility when we are struggling and God gives us a break, gives us relief, gives us a bit of light, is to be thankful. Wholly thankful.
So thank you, Lord, for the joy you have given me today. Let me dwell in it, relish it, store up the goodness of it in my heart. I will not worry about tomorrow, nor predict the future, but live in today, in the day you have given me today. I will rejoice in it, and be glad.
