Great Day in the Morning!

Lots of stuff can happen in just 24 hours.

I heard a story some years ago about a man who was having a really bad day. Maybe you can relate.

"Joe" comes home from a tough day and as is his routine he kisses the wife and heads to the bathroom. He is unaware that his environmentally conscious wife has protected the ozone just minutes earlier by disposing the remains of her aerosol hair spray in the toilet. While Joe is reading, relaxing and smoking his Camel down to the filter, he does as he has every day for years. Between his legs and into the flusher goes the smoldering cig remains, igniting the aerosol and literally launching him off of toilet seat and through the shower door into the tub. "Joe" is in a bad way!

Scorched to toast, he lies in the tub like a poached egg. Calling to wife for help, she sees the damage and quickly calls 9-11. EMT's are on the spot in record response time as they have been notified of an explosion that has injured one whose condition is still not known. Seeing "Joe" sunny side up, they do a quick CSI audit and realize that Joe has been burned worse than Nascar tire at Daytona. Fighting back the smiles, they load this poor guy on the spine board, used for patient transfer into the waiting emergency vehicle. One problem...they have to place him on the spine board 'sunny side up'.

Arms hanging downward from the spine board, Rocket Man is is being carried down the stairs toward the front door when one of the EMT's stumbles on a stair, jolting the others and causing them to loose grip of the spineboard. Down goes Joe, arms mashed underneath the board while burning like Duraflame log on his tender side, fully exposed to the world.

In the ER the attending physician greets his broken armed and charcoal roasted patient with; "Having a bad day there, huh?"

I guess you could say that. Sounds like a keen observation from a Med School Grad. "Joe" is having a REALLY bad day!

Some days are good. Some days...not so good.

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Not everything that happens throughout your day may be all that good, or even all as bad as this poor 'Joe'. Some days, we are trudging through, just trying to make it through challenge, uncertainty, calamity or reversal. Some days, we can't believe how blessed we are! The bills are paid, the kids are making their beds and boss gives us a promotion. Good or not so good, every day is really a gift to us...to grow, to learn, to serve, to care, to love, to deepen, to get involved, to think things through, to pray, to hold hands and so much more.

On this very day in 1979, American hostages were taken by Iranian revolutionaries and held captive for over a year. A horrible day of crisis for these innocent people and their families. On this very day in 1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd...a love that he had waited patiently for. A very good day for both! On this day in 1922, archeologists discovered the entrance of King Tutt's tomb. Big day for sure in Egypt! On this day in 1995, Israeli Prime Minister was assasinated in Tel Aviv, ushering in yet another dark day in the Middle East and the world. On this day in 1997, I was one of hundreds of thousands of men who gathered in Washington, DC for a national Promise Keeper Rally. Talk about awesome!

On this day in a year that only God knows, a wonderful person was born into a pretty rough and tumble family. Through the years, this little girl and young lady saw things, heard things, and was exposed to things that no child or daughter should ever hear, see or know. Pretty much unloved and unnoticed, she would hang on one day at a time, looking for the good and taking refuge in the small acts of kindness that others would provide. Keeping a stiff upper lip as well as a sharp sense of humor, fatherless and counted as nothing more than a nuisance, she survived and met the man of her hopes and dreams as a young woman. They married, had three children within a year, and stayed the course of creating a home and family with memories much more cherished than her own growing up years.

Happy Birthday Mom! There are four women in my life that have shaped and blessed me beyond description...my Charlette, our daughter, your husband's mother, and YOU! I thank the Lord that He made YOU and brought YOU into this world so that me and many others could be loved, encouraged, humored, hugged and cooked for! This is a happy day, Mom! Did you know that Laura Bush shares your BD today? I am sure that she is a great gal, but YOU have elipsed her in my eyes, no doubt about it.

Yep, today is the day that the Lord has made. It is a day of rejoicing in His goodness, favor and victory. It is also a great day of thanking Him for blessing this world and my life through you, Mom. Have a happy day!

Guess what? I heard that they scheduled Election Day on your Birthday so that everybody could get in on the party!

It's a great day...and it started in the morning thinking of you on your Birthday.