For most of us, likely over 90 percent of our days “mush” together and are relatively mundane; we wake up, go to our daily activities—work or school or whatever else—and come home and do our normal evening routine, go to bed, and repeat the next day. Then of course there’s those days that we remember well, because we had a good (or not-so-good) time, such as family vacations, weekend trips, dinner out at a nice restaurant, a special event, or whatever else. Then there’s those days that blow everything out of the water.
Today is July 7. I could hardly tell you anything about what happened last week, much less a month ago or a year ago on this particular day. But some years ago, somewhere, July 7 was the best day I could ever remember. There has not been a day like it before it or after, where I can remember literally almost everything about it. I don’t remember what I had for breakfast or lunch or dinner that day, but I do remember what the weather was like. I remember the people I saw and spoke to and some of the exact conversations. I remember who was sitting next to me at certain points during that day, and I remember almost every single “event” that happened; where I went, who I talked to, what I did, what I thought, and so on. A lot of what happened that day, I already knew going in; it’s the surprises that happened that made that day so incredible. If you told me when I woke up that day, that it would be the most memorable day ever for me, and you had told me some of what was going to happen (actually mainly one or two things), I wouldn’t have believed you. From the time I woke up that morning to the time I went to bed that night, it was like everything just went perfectly.
I haven’t told you anything about what actually happened that day; why it was just so great. That’s because the very next day, everything came crashing down; there was no follow-up to what had happened the day before. The fall back to “earth” was pretty hard. But that’s alright; looking back, I’m glad I took a huge fall that next day instead of on July 7, as it allowed July 7 to be a pure, unadulterated day full of excitement and amazement and thrill; undefiled by anything that happened afterward. I remember talking to someone about it a short time later (a week or two) and they told me something to the effect of “well hey, at least you probably learned something from it, right?” John Maxwell wrote a book with the title, “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn.” When you experience failure, especially after a great success or thrill, it can be tough; but good can (and will, if you allow) come out of it.
We all have our good and bad days, and we never know what tomorrow will bring. But the LORD does know; he is awake day and night, working with us. Sometimes it’s not going to be very fun; other times it will be very enjoyable. He gives us plenty of days we want to be very thankful for, and other days we wish could be smitten from the record. Solomon writes, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that no one can discover anything that will come after him (Ecclesiastes 7:14 CSB).” But every day is a new day that the LORD has made, so rejoice and be glad within it (Psalm 118:24). He is at work, and he knows what’s going on and how to deal with your worst failures and disappointments.
There was an image going around the internet, of a rose, with the caption: “Only God can turn a MESS into a MESSAGE, a TEST into a TESTIMONY, a TRIAL into a TRIUMPH, and a VICTIM into VICTORY.”
Remember that; failure happens at times, but the LORD is still looking out for you; there’s nothing he can’t fix, no broken heart he can’t mend, no disappointment too strong to overcome.
Sorry it’s been a while; hoping to get back to a more regular routine with this blog.
Joy and gladness,
Dan
Dan Gaitanis 