Making Every Day Count

Scripture Readings: Psalms 118:19-24; 90:1-2, 10,12

The Old Testament Psalms are filled with songs of praise, prayers, affirmations about God, and insights and lessons for faithful living. One insight came to me recently from reading Psalm 118. This Psalm is referred to as a “song of victory.” It is full of suggestions for how people of faith should respond to the Divine Creator. The Psalm contains rich reminders of God’s nature and availability. These words from our scripture reading set the stage for our thinking together about making everyday count: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (118:24) “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” (90:12)

I don’t know about you, but periodically I need these reminders I just read from scriptures. To be sure some days are a greater challenge than others. And the older we get, the greater the challenges! I must admit, I look at some days and the challenges they bring with dread. I have a Baptist minister friend and colleague who is an accomplished singer and song writer. One of his songs written many years ago now is one of my favorites. The song is titled, “Good Morning, Lord.” It’s a delightful and uplifting song to hear at the beginning of a new day. I asked my friend Paul how he came to write this song. His response was that he had discovered that too many people begin their day by saying, “ Good Lord, it’s morning” instead of, ”Good morning, Lord,” in gratitude for the gift of another day. Maybe you’ve had days like that. I know I have. But then God’s Word comes to my rescue. Someone once wrote, “Each day is a gift. That is why it’s called the present!” The question each day calls us to answer this: “How shall we use God’s gift of another day?” The challenge each day offers is to break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present.

Orville Kelly was a newspaper man from Iowa. At age 43 he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and told he had six months to a year to live. Such devastating news brought tension to relationships. His family and friends began to treat him differently. No one would talk about the realities of his condition. Even his wife, Wanda, refused to discuss his fate. Every time he brought up the subject, she would say, "Let's not talk about it. Let's just hope for the best." Finally one day Orville said, "Wanda, we've got to talk. Yes, I've got cancer, but. I'm not dead yet. I still have some serious living to do and I need help to do it." So they talked for the first time about his condition. They talked about the anguish, frustrations, and the ultimate outcome. Then after a long and heart-warming talk, Orville said, "I have an idea. Let's have a barbecue and invite all our friends and start living again." And that's what they did.

A short time later Orville saw attitudes and the quality of relationships change for the better. He reminded his family and friends that he was not going to get up each day saying to himself, "This is one less day to live," but rather he took on a new attitude. He claimed each day as a gift and thanked God for it.

Then an exciting new thought came to him. He decided to form a new club called MTC standing for "Making Today Count." In doing so he said, "That philosophy should drive each of us to get up and get going each day so we can really experience all life has to offer. After all, he said, “everyone is terminal. I simply know that my terminus has been more clearly determined. None of us knows for sure when we are going to die. So I am going to make every day of my life really count for something. I'm going to see every day as a special and gracious gift from God."

And that is precisely what Orville Kelly went on doing for the remainder of his days. You can tell by the way he described the mighty Mississippi on a misty morning; or see it in his word-picture of a bluebird sitting on a fence of an Iowa farm; or hear it affirmed in his tribute to the beautiful smile on his wife's face. Though sentenced to death by a terminal illness, Orville Kelly actually became more alive by making each day count for something special! And that is the choice we all have, regardless of our circumstances. We don't have to be diagnosed with a terminal illness to understand the importance of living each day to the fullest as a gift from God.

I think that's what the Psalmist was trying to teach us long ago, when he said, This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! If each of us would repeat those words at the beginning of each day, it would change our lives. And we should also offer the Psalmist’s prayer: “Teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” In addition to these, let me offer some other suggestions on how we can make each and every day count.

First, we can make the most of each day by being sensitive to what's happening around us. Several decades ago, when small group experiences became popular, many shared in what was called "sensitivity walks." The exercise called for participants to go for a brief walk and to make a mental list of all the sights, sounds and smells that became apparent during the walk. Persons then returned to the group to talk about the experience. For some it was a fascinating experience. Many confessed that some of the most precious expressions in life, such as the beauty of wild flowers, or the chirping of birds, had long been overlooked. Perhaps it would do each of us good to take a sensitivity walk every day so we might get in touch with the wonders of God's world. A good prayer to begin each day would be: "Lord, open my eyes and ears that I may truly see and hear so as to respond in faith to the joys the opportunities each new day brings."

Second, we can make the most of each day by doing something special for someone else. We live in such a self-centered world! Sometimes we get life's priorities confused. The Christ of faith helps keep in focus what is really important. That's why He said, "Love one another as I have loved you." Life's priorities center in how we treat others. What is really important is how caring, self- giving (agape) love finds expression in our lives. If we are really interested in discovering what life can become and what God intended through us in Christ, we must find answers to questions like these: "How can I make a difference? What contribution can I make?" “What can I do for someone else today?”

As a teenager, I read a devotional booklet that made quite an impression. It was titled A Better World Begins with Me. The woman author offered a simple suggestion, "Look around and see what will bring happiness to others, and then do it." As I recall, one of the acts she described was baking a cake and taking it to an elderly woman in her neighborhood. Simple acts of love and kindness bring quality life, regardless of the quantity of days. Now most of us may not be able to bake someone a cake, but we all have the potential of doing something for someone to brighten their day. And when we do, our day is made brighter, too. Making every day count has nothing to do with one’s age: it’s about attitude and actions.

Dr. Claude Bissell, Canadian educator, writer, and former President of the University of Toronto is credited with saying something profound about living life fully. He said, "Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible." That’s what I call a formula for making the most of each day!

So, how is it with you today? Are you living life fully and making each day count? If so, with the Psalmist, rejoice and be glad in it! If not, I invite you to claim the joys of faith and faith living, which makes each and every day special!