Perhaps it may turn out a sang,
Perhaps turn out a sermon.

-- R. Burns Epistle to a Young Friend

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Interesting Times



For he says, In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. -- 2 Corinthians 6:2


Talk of living for today or seizing the day, means, for too many of us, ignoring the consequences of bad choices.  My sister used to leave the supper dishes unwashed.  Her excuse was that she might die overnight and someone else would have to wash them.  We use our credit cards for unnecessary purchases today without thinking about the interest and other charges we may have to pay later.  We eat too much and later complain about gaining weight.  We sit on the couch and watch television instead of exercising and wonder why we are out of shape.

I prefer the more colloquial and picturesque expression, “Make hay while the sun shines.”  You can listen too much to the weatherman, and one thing is sure:   there is no putting up hay when the sun isn’t shining.  Take full advantage of the current conditions.  If it is raining, cloudy, or dark, there are other things you can do. 

I am living today in the future I once looked forward to.  So are you.  I have said before that we cannot change the past but we can change what the past means through our actions and attitude in the present.  The future, on the other hand -- despite what some believe about determinism, is not set.  Our choices today play a part in how tomorrow plays out. 

We cannot know what will come to us tomorrow, but the Lord advises us to … not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:34).  All I really need to know is that, tomorrow, Jesus is still Lord.

Meanwhile, I can be thankful that I have today.  Sometimes I think I was born a hundred years too late but maybe not.  It could be that you and I are alive today because this is our day.  The old Chinese curse “may you live in interesting times” has come to pass for us.  Peace, prosperity and ease are nice, but interesting is interesting.       

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