The Blessing of Today

As I reluctantly rolled out of bed this morning, the pain in my joints reminded me that I was alive.  I know…not the best attitude to begin a new day.  Shortly, however, after I managed to finally open my eyes I realized what a beautiful summer morning the Lord had given to the people around here today (and that includes me).  I looked out the side window of my bedroom and admired the blue sky.  I opened it and breathed in the fresh, cool morning air.  O how I love summer!  The birds were chirping joyfully all around.  I let out a sigh and then I remembered that I had no place to go to today.  What a blessing! 

I had absolutely nothing to do today that required the stressful effort of gathering my two boys and dragging them around in my car (visions of whining, toys flying and intense arguing in the back seat flashed by in my mind and I shuddered).  For once, I was not going to have to give them the 5-minute-‘till-we-leave warning.  For once, the boys were going to be able to have a day of leisure at home without having their Mama boss them around and yell orders from her command center about getting in the car, finding shoes, brushing teeth, putting clean clothes on (not in that exact order, of course).  Not today.  The thought of that made me smile.

This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it! I resolved.  (Psalm 118: 24) 

Who cares about achy joints?  That’s why they invented Aleve, right?  The blessing of a new, glorious day is here for our enjoyment and I don’t want to waste it!  His blessings are new every morning! Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3: 22-23)

I walked out of my bedroom and the boys, who have been camping out in the living room for almost 2 weeks, were already awake and playing the Wii…I know…videogames…sigh. Grant had even fixed himself some breakfast! (Another huge blessing! That boy is such a picky eater; he just needs to start cooking for himself right now). I surveyed the scene and it was a mess down there, stuffed animals and other assortment of toys all around the floor and on the inflatable mattress where the boys have been sleeping. But today, I don’t care. I won’t make any kind of pronouncement about how they must pick up and how today will be the last day they keep their clutter in the living room. Not today, because today, I will rejoice in the Lord no matter what. Now, it’s time to go outside and bask in the blessed gift of this new day.