The Glory of an Ordinary Day
Sometimes it takes a serious jolt in life to open our eyes and see the glory of an ordinary day. Such was the case of one woman who recently faced a life-threatening illness. Through major surgery, though disfiguring, her life has been prolonged. Those who call to give her comfort are surprised when they hear her say that she is so blessed that each morning when she awakes she is so happy and thankful to be alive. For this woman, every ordinary day is now an extraordinary day that she greets with hope and enthusiasm.
Writer Mary Jean Irion helps us see the deeper perspective: "Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savor you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may." So we may ask, "How do we love, savor, and bless a normal day?"
The answers surround us and, because of their simplicity; they often escape us. To "savor" a normal day, we can begin with the simple act of opening the shades that give privacy in the night and let in the morning rays of light. To sit, even for a moment, in that light and thank our Divine Creator for another new day can sharpen our ability to find joy. We are then ready to learn from, to love, and to bless that normal day, however ordinary it may be.
It can be done as simply as responding to the child who says, "Please read me a story" and then savoring the sight of the child's happy face as we read. It can happen by saying "I love you" to someone we love or smiling and chatting with the stranger in line at the store. It can also happen by thanking an employee for a job well done and, in each case, enjoying the happy response.
It can happen as we feel lifted by the strains of a favorite song or as we notice the budding of a new flower, the freshness in the air after a rain, or the reflection of light on the clouds as the evening sun bids farewell. It can happen by recounting just a few of the good things that filled our day as we kneel in evening prayer and thank a loving Father, who gave us one more ordinary day.
Given by Lloyd D. Newell The Spoken Word - March 29, 1998