Looking at the daily-ness of life

“Life is so daily!”  I once heard Joni Eareckson Tada make this statement on her radio program.

A quadriplegic, Tada went on to describe her daily routine. She needs help with combing her hair, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed, among other daily tasks. “Some days, I have to confess, I wish the routine could vary, but like you, certain things just have to be done the same way, the same time, every day. It’s always a challenge to accept the daily-ness of life.”

Tada says no matter how deep the rut of your daily routine, you can find satisfaction in the Lord Jesus that’s deeper still.

“It’s a reality: you don’t have to be overwhelmed,” she has written. “The Lord promises that you will have strength (that is, energy and grace) to equal the needs you face in your day. In fact, God invites us to know His satisfaction on an even more profound level as we go to Him for grace, hour-by-hour and moment-by-moment….especially during those so-called boring hours when we feel everything is on automatic. He knows that’s when we need Him most.”

No matter how repetitive your routine, the Lord’s mercies and compassion fail not –   “They are new every morning; Great is (His) faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJ). The Bible promises, “Your strength will equal your days” (Deuteronomy 33:25 NIV).

I’ve heard it said that there are two ways in which to approach life each day – “Good morning, Lord” or “Good Lord, it’s morning.” In recent months I have been talking to the Lord before I get out of the bed and put my feet on the floor. I have found it to be a peaceful beginning to the day. If not, I tend to rush through the day and neglect time with the Lord.

Then, a Facebook friend shared this list of five things to do before you get out of bed: Express gratitude; set your intentions for the day; take five long deep breaths in and out; smile for no reason; and forgive yourself for yesterday’s mistakes. So I have added these actions to my early morning.

Look at every day as a gift from God.  Maybe that’s one reason it’s called “the present.”  A present holds surprises. We do not know what’s ahead in the next 24 hours or 12 months. Proverbs 27:1 tells us we do not know what a day may bring. Winston Groom’s character, Forrest Gump, put it this way, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”

God will “give us day by day our daily bread.”  (Luke 11:3 NKJ)  He “daily loads us with benefits,” for which we should remember to thank Him (Psalm 68:19 NKJ).

Someone once said, “Life is a mystery – unfold it. Life is a struggle – face it. Life is beauty – praise it. Life is a puzzle – solve it. Life is opportunity – take it. Life is sorrowful – experience it. Life is a song – sing it. Life is a goal – achieve it. Life is a mission – fulfill it.”

Jan White is a wife, mother, and freelance writer who lives in Andalusia. Her email address is [email protected].