Several years ago I went to a workshop where the presenter predicted that in the near future the primary question volunteers would ask would not be, "How much MONEY does it cost?" The primary question would be, "How much TIME will it take?" Someone else admonished, "You don't let other people spend your money, so don't let them spend your time."
Time is the great equalizer. Bill Gates may be worth billions of dollars, but he does not have even one second more a day than you and I have. (That is pretty humbling when you think of it!)
Often I am overwhelmed with all the things I DON'T get accomplished. (It seems preaching and farming can be similar in that you can have more to do at the end of a day than when you started!) I recently read that "Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes!"
As I turn the calendar to January of 2012, it is hard to believe how fast the last 30 years have sped by. I am reminded that, as an old song sang, "...yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come…we have this moment, today" In reality all we really have is just this moment, all we have is today. Each of us has things in our past that have hurt and disappointed us. There may be things that we are ashamed of. A friend once said, "My life got significantly better when I stopped trying to give me a better past!" We cannot start over, we do not start where we wish we were, but we start today, right where we are.
The glorious "good news" is that no matter what lies behind, if we will just acknowledge it as OUR problem and not someone else's and release it into God's hands, there is forgiveness and grace. I found a great bit of wisdom that simply talks about, "just for today." I pray it will be a blessing as you launch out into the great unknown of 2012.
JUST FOR TODAY...
Just for today I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life problem at once.
Just for today, I will be happy.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will study. I will learn something useful.
Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to fit everything to my own desires.
Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do -- just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.
Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can dress becomingly, talk low, act courteously, criticize not one bit, and not try to improve anybody except myself
Just for today, I will have a program. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.
Just for today, I will have a quiet half hour with God. I will try to get a better perspective of my life.
Just for today, I will be unafraid. Especially, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful.
Life is not made up of a few great big events, life is an accumulation of a whole lot of little events—Life is not measured so much in the accomplishments of years, but of days. Let's make every day of 2012 count!
