Monday, February 28, 2011

Each Day is a Gift

I am a worrier (I know I shouldn’t be, Preston reminds me of that all the time, but I'm still working on it), and Thursday night I was particularly stressed about something I was going to face on Friday when Jeremiah 29:11 came to mind.  It says “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ”  Then, Friday morning, I was flipping through my Bible and saw some verses I had underlined long ago.  It was Philippians 4:6-7 which says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  This started me thinking that no matter what I was facing it would be a day completely controlled by God and that gave me a peace and calm to face the day.  
The sermon at church on Sunday, along with the Lord’s reminders on Thursday and Friday, led me to think about what we face everyday, be it good or bad.  Often we wonder why things happen the way they do and we forget that everyday is a gift no matter if it is a good or bad day.  I have been asked numerous times for various reasons in the last few years what is my life expectancy now that I have had a transplant.  Most of the time my response is that no one really knows because they haven’t been doing my particular type of transplant that long.  Really, my response should be something more along the lines of “my life expectancy is completely up to God.”  Being asked this question so many times can start to get to you after a while, but if we are honest no one really knows how long they have and we should all be thankful for each and every day that we are given.  We should even be thankful for the days that everything seems to go wrong.  Why do any of us live as long as we do?  Because God has a reason and purpose for us and when we are finished doing what He sent us here for, our work on earth will be done.  Do I know what all my reasons and purposes for being here are?  No.  Will I ever?  Probably not.  Is that okay with me?  Yes.  Why?  Because each day is a gift and no matter how many days any of us are given we can still fulfill God’s purpose for our life.   
Tomorrow I have an appointment at a doctor’s office where most of the people they treat are cancer patients.  I have been in a room with many of these people when we were all hooked to IVs getting treatments.  The difference, they are getting cancer treatments and I am just there to get iron.  Often there are patients who are so happy and friendly and you can tell they have God in their lives.  They are taking one day at a time and treating each day as a gift.  I want people to see this in me.  I can’t say I never complain, because I do, but I hope that people can tell that I am thankful for each day the Lord gives me.  I hope that the next time that I have a really bad day or you have a really bad day we can remember to stop and be thankful for that day no matter what has happened, because even though it might not feel like it, each day, good or bad, is a gift. 


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