Oh yes, it was indeed a very ‘riney’ day yesterday – from early morn, right on into the night! But it’s very sunshiny and beautiful today though! Glory Be! Like it’s becoming impossible to have a few bright and sunshiny, warm days in a row. But we’ll take them however we can get them yes! (smile)
Anyhow, here’s an interesting situation. And you’ll notice how the Lord is so up on things? I’m in the habit of telling the duchess that the week is almost done, but I haven’t done even a half of what I wanted to do. And she replies by telling me that time isn’t waiting on me. Then lo and behold, a few days ago, a friend sent me this message via her what’s app app.
It says: ‘This was sent to me today and couldn’t help but share, very beautiful, very true….! Hardly the day started and … it is already six o’clock in the evening. Barely arrived on Monday and it’s already Friday… and the month is already over. … and the year is almost up. … and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed. … and we realize that we lost our parents, friends. And we realize that it is too late to go back …
So … Let’s try, however, to take full advantage of the time we have left … Let’s not stop looking for activities that we like …Let’s put color in our greyness … Let’s smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts. And yet, we must continue to enjoy serenely the time that remains. Let’s try to eliminate the “after” … I’ll do it after … I will say after … I will think about it after …
We leave everything for later as if “after” was ours. Because what we do not understand is that: after, the coffee cools … after, priorities change … after, the charm is broken … after, health passes … after, the children grow up … after, the parents get older … after, the promises are forgotten … after, the day becomes the night … after, life ends … And after that it’s often too late….
So … leave nothing for later … Because always waiting for later, we can lose the best moments, the best experiences, the best friends, the best family … The day is today … The moment is now … We are no longer at the age where we can afford to postpone until tomorrow what needs to be done right away. So after you read this message… Please share it with others… And don’t leave it for “later”… Or not share it “ever”….’
Well I left it for a li’l later, but not for ever. (smile) Yes friends, that’s why they say time flies, and time waits on no one, and why our parents and teachers drilled it into our heads to not leave for tomorrow what we can do today! But do we ever listen? No sir! We still procrastinate and say, tomorrow, even though tomorrow never comes – because it’s always today!
So let’s hope that li’l message will help us stop putting off things for later, or tomorrow, because we often miss the best of life when we do so. That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in Proverbs: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth? We don’t have a clue as to what will really happen tomorrow. That’s why we should try our best to do what we have to do today.
And even when we can’t, we should make this proviso as James warns. ‘Go to now (come now), ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (make a profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice (boast) in your boastings (arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:13-17) All of that is simply gospel truth my people, whether we think so or not!
And the scholars offer some explanations on those verses. ‘4:13-14. This one is a fool, for he thinks he knows something that he doesn’t. He presumes he has the resources to control his destiny. (cf. Prov.27:1; Luke 12:13-21).’ ‘4:15. This, or that: This verse teaches that God does have something for Christians to do and that they should plan accordingly. James condemns only elaborate planning that omits God (cf. Prov.16.9).’ ‘4:17. To do good here requires including God in one’s plans. Omitting God is not merely bad planning, it is sin.’ Matter fix mih people!
And if you don’t believe James, then you can check out his brother Jesus, when He told the parable of the rich fool, (Luke 12:13-21) who was only interested in his own aggrandizement and left God out of his plans. But what he forgot was that he had no control over the breath of life in his physical body, which belonged to God in the first place.
So when the Lord decided to take back His breath of life that very night that he was making big plans, the poor fool had no recourse but to go away and leave all his material wealth for others to blow away. And that’s what is likely to happen to any of us who is not rich towards God. And now, having that lesson written indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, let’s go home declaring (yes!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
In strong voice and sincere sense of purpose now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And as always, the corollary is to go out and share that special friendship and wonderful LOVE of Jesus with those who don’t have the immense pleasure of knowing Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way…but the Lord directeth his steps…(the Lord is sovereign…over man’s scheming and planning…) (Prov.16:9)
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