Help! Love, MOM

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

If Monday were a friend, I would feel awful for the way folks just TRASH his reputation.

On the other hand, Mondays can be tough days, yes?

• Recovering from doing ALL. THE. THINGS. in one weekend.
• Anticipating — another — (pick one) boring, crazy, challenging, lonely, under-resourced day at work.
• A long, traffic-choked commute.
• MY HAIR.
• Pains and aches and pills: oh my!

However, if we wait for the weekend or our next vacation or a special event and then enjoy life, we miss out on the potential for gladness our good God gives every day, including today.

True, vacations are fun and celebrations are essential, but most of our lives are lived in the ordinary, unadorned spaces on your calendar and mine.

You may not feel the overwhelming giddy joy one experiences when your underdog team wins the championship: Mets in 2026!

However, there is gladness, a “sober joy” (Dr. John Piper of Desiring God’s terminology) to be had and shared in a good meal at your own table, with family in your nightly chaos, or alone, in peace, or in dozens of other ways.

We live in a time of what appears to be prolonged upheaval. The news across the world, in the US, and in our towns can be upsetting and frightening.

While that is true, this is still the day to enjoy your cup of coffee while you sit in traffic.

This is the day to stay connected with family. Even on a Monday, a quick text out of the blue is likely to be well received.

This is the day to learn all you can at that job as you search for another.

This is the day to sink into the warm comfort of friends as you wait for the bus or the diagnosis.

These moments contain our lives!

I’m making up with Monday and all the other days.

Although the truth is that any day, even happy-go-lucky Saturday and all the rest, can be a whole mess.

I am determined to live every day and not wait or waste the time, the precious, irreplaceable time, God has graciously given to me. How about you?

I learned, or rather, started on the journey to learning how to do this when my father was ill. Somehow Daddy was often sick on holidays. Our family spent many a Thanksgiving or July 4th or Christmas waiting for news, keeping frightened vigils in hospital waiting rooms.

We were glad to be together, and we also learned to observe the holiday that we had officially missed on whatever day we could.

More recently, I lost my way in the “Wilderness of Workaholicism” if you will, which the Pandemic, acting as an accelerant, liberally fueled an unsustainable pace.

Now, I am finding my way back to living and enjoying my life.

I’m making up with Monday and living today because tomorrow is not promised to me. I have a goal of taking a walk everyday. What are you doing to live and enjoy TODAY.

Let’s live AND declare the works of the LORD (Psalm 118:17).

Happy New Year!

Kimberly xoxo