So Monday of this week I submitted my two week notice at
work. I would like to be able to tell
you that at 49 years and 10 months old, I am able to retire and live off the
land on our little homestead farm. Alas,
that is not the case. I wish I could
announce that, but I cannot. I’m going
to pursue a job doing something that I don’t have any experience doing. Sounds like an adventure, doesn’t it? So at the beginning of September, a new day
will dawn for me.
But that’s not really what I want to talk about
today. I’m a creature of habit. I get up at a certain time, go through the
same morning rituals and glance at the clock to gauge my progress. I know I need to be out of bed at 5:30 am and
back inside the door from morning milking and feeding by 6:10 am at the latest
in order to shower, shave, dress, grab my lunch and a coffee and be out the
door by 6:30 am. Most days that puts me turning
off the road and pulling up on the on ramp of Interstate 10 heading west at 6:36
am and arriving in my parking lot at the office at 7:21 am.
I changed my morning routine the other day and instead of
hitting the blacktop road, I made a circuitous route down some gravel roads
behind the house to check out results of the recent flooding. There was a big “Road Closed” sign up across the road as I
tried to drive westward, so as I looped back, I was driving due east down the
road that runs right by our little church.
The sun was just rising in the eastern sky and if I had my camera versus
my old phone camera, this would’ve been a nice picture.
The day was brand new.
There was no traffic on the country road and it was quiet outside if you
ignored the roosters announcing the arrival of dawn. There was a fog rising off of the
dew-drenched landscape. The air was
clean and a little cool in the shadows of the new day, as if it was holding on
stubbornly before succumbing to the humid, sweltering August day that lay ahead. A new day awaits.
Regardless of the mistakes made yesterday, we have an
opportunity to wake up and try to make things better. The goals set that we didn’t reach yesterday
can be sought after again. There is hope
that the trials, pain, stress, and uncertainty we faced yesterday will be gone
or reduced in this brand new day. It is as if the slate has
been wiped clean and you have a new start. A do-over. We have 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds to get it right this time. Unlike in the Olympics, there are no starting
blocks and no blast from the starting gun to alert you to get things underway. There are really no markers to let us know
that we are on the right course.
It is up to us individually. Except it is not. A new beginning awaits, but we are not alone. We put our faith in Him to lead us and we
pray that we have the good sense to follow Him.
A new day dawns… And He is
Faithful!
Lamentations
3:22-24
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are
new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my
soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
