One Day At A Time

How are YOU doing?

I am asked this just about every day. I just got a new thin silver bracelet, and all around it, it says, "one day at a time". That's where we are at. I've known the verse for many years, “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34), yet it's easy to worry how we will get through another day, all the firsts, up coming events. The other day after quite a few rough days, I made the comment to Norm, "we made it through another day". And, "one day at a time" is realistic.

We still have so many firsts. Yesterday was our children's AWANA awards. Our daughter Heidi received her "third book award". This is where I can push on the advantages of homeschooling. She is one that really struggled when first starting. She had a little bit of a lisp, and got frustrated with everyone correcting her. She thought she'd never learn to read, and was in tears often those first few years. The other comparison for HER, is that she is a twin, and it always appeared her twin did so much better. Heidi is competitive and strong-willed, which helped her keep moving forward. Her twin, Heather is more carefree and though she did great with her book this year, she helped more with the younger kids, and just did not finish. So they BOTH did great, but just neat to see the rewards of homeschooling even with this where Heidi would have been labeled.

Last year we remember the AWANA awards well, and Stephen and Matthew each gave their testimony. I did good getting through the program, concentrating on each of the children as they got their awards and prizes. Then, seeing Stephen and Jayson up there, without Matthew, brought that lump back. There were no testimonies from that group this year, which for their sake, probably is good, as it would have been quite emotional for them.

Yesterday Norm was cleaning up the yard, and around Matthew's car, which Stephen used after his accident, before he got his new truck. But now it sits there. Norm was cleaning around yard, picking up lots of depris from the winter, and came in and told me he was ready to sell Matthew's car. It's too hard to have that just sitting there. Today we did a little garage saling. One time it struck me when we saw some nice clean shoes, size 11, Matthew's size - again that lump. But, I was concentrating mostly on what the children needed. Later Norm asked me on how much I thought of Matthew while garage saling, and I said, really not much, except for the shoes. He said for him, it was hard again - just all the "material things" that really have no meaning compared to eternity, and the great, great responsibility we have. The other stuff has lost so much meaning. Our fun garage saling ventures at this time are a lot more low key.


So, we are taking one day at a time. We've not done as much with the remodeling because of puppy business, schooling, and doctor/ortho appointments (Jayson's jaw is still locking up a lot - please pray regarding this, because the ortho does not feel we have many more options, and he may need surgery). We keep busy, and are trying more and more to get more personal with the children. We don't have a second chance.

This is something I read today, and even something my father-in-law encouraged me with yesterday, and will end it with this.

From GRACE TO YOU - by John MacArthur

God gives you the glorious gift of life today; live in the light and full joy of that day, using the resources God supplies. Don’t push yourself into the future and forfeit the day’s joy over an anticipated tomorrow that may never happen. Today is all you really have, for God permits none of us to live in tomorrow until it turns into today.

Understand this: God gives you strength one day at a time. He gives you what you need when you need it and doesn’t encumber you with excess baggage. Perhaps your worst fear is how you’d handle a loved one’s death. Let me assure you as a pastor who has kept watch over many Christians finding themselves in that situation, this is the attitude I most often encounter: “It is so wonderful how God has sustained me! I naturally miss my beloved, but I feel such incredible strength and confidence and a gladness in my heart that my loved one is with the Lord.” God gives us His grace in the hour we need it. If we worry about the future now, we double our pain without having the grace to deal with it.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever” (Heb. 13:8). That means He will be doing the same thing tomorrow that He was doing yesterday. If you have any question about the future, look at the past. Did He sustain you then? Don’t worry—He will sustain you in the future as well.

Adapted from Anxiety Attacked, © 1993 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved