Tomorrow….the day after today. Sounds pretty simple…a definition we all have understood since childhood. At times I eagerly anticipated tomorrow and at times I cringed at the thought of what tomorrow would bring. As I reflect on Resurrection Sunday I think to what the disciples were thinking when Jesus died….tomorrow was not an ordinary day for them. I then think to the thought of the day before Jesus rose…while many were still in mourning and to think their tomorrow would be different, though little did they know that their mourning would turn to joy because Jesus had risen. How many tomorrows have we had that weren’t what we thought they would be? Some tomorrows were filled with sorrow, overwhelming news and just daily chaos. Yet other tomorrows brought new hope, greater peace, and joy. Of course we all long for the happy tomorrows, the lighter ones, the easier ones….but unfortunately the difficult tomorrows will be there…maybe we know they are coming or possibly we are blindsided and not prepared. As I lay here and think of my tomorrow, there’s an agenda of what will happen that is expected…things I need to do and plans made that I need to follow through on. That’s not a bad thing…it’s reality. But what if? What if I woke tomorrow and laid my day at His feet before my eyes were even opened. What if the plans and expectations I had for tomorrow were totally changed and didn’t go according to what I thought they would be yet I started my day with peace from Him…knowing that no matter what tomorrow holds I know He holds me. Knowing that if tomorrow came no matter what took place I would be ok. Tomorrow will come, but what it will look like can only be spoken of in the moment we walk through it. Tomorrow could be a promotion, it could be a loss, it could be a diagnosis or quality time spent with a loved one. Tomorrow could be the beginning of a new path the Lord has for us…but will we surrender our tomorrow to Him? Will we wake and step forward in each moment giving the unexpected and the expected of tomorrow to Him? Thinking back to the crucifixion of Jesus that is not a tomorrow I would have wanted….yet His resurrection is surely a tomorrow I am thankful for! You see one days tomorrow doesn’t have to mean the end it could be the beginning of the Lord’s perfect plan. As I anticipate a few tomorrow’s to come with unknown outcomes and a little anxiety, I am reminded that I do not hold the future but it is the Lord who does. While my tomorrow may seem a little arduous and difficult and often overwhelming He has a plan, and if I continue to surrender my tomorrow and walk with Him he will guide and protect me. Let tomorrow be His…the good, the bad, the ugly tomorrow…whatever it may be give it to the Lord and He will see you through. It may take hours, weeks, months or even years BUT He will not fail you!
Month: March 2016
When Today Wasn’t Planned
Somedays you wake with expectations…expectations that all will go as you planned…that the sun will rise and the day will move forward with ease for the most part…not perfect…just not too hard. Somedays I look back to being young…I had my life planned out…the man of my dreams, raising kids with my mom by my side to grandmother them, the perfect job, enough money to not worry, and health….of course health wasn’t an issue…wasn’t even a thought…of course all would be well…of course I’d be healthy…I’d be that do it all mom and wife….juggling life just perfectly and with a smile of course too…. Sometimes life isn’t as we planned. Sometimes life knocks us down and getting up is hard. Sometimes events happen unexpectedly and throw us on a total different track than we planned to be on. Sometimes we need to stop planning and just let God take control. Surrender. Sometimes God puts you at such a place that all you can do is surrender – the circumstances of your life become beyond your control. The careful planning you’ve always relied upon is of no use. You can plan and you can try…but you can’t control tomorrow and sometimes even the events of the day your in can’t be controlled. What can you do? You can put one foot in front of the other and with each step breathe. Breathe and believe that there is more to the mess your in. Believe that the God who created heaven and earth is more than capable of carrying you or holding your hand through your darkest moment and your darkest hour. No…many of my days have not been planned as I would plan them. Many of my days have been scared by sickness, lonely hours and filled with change. Change that I didn’t choose, change that I didn’t plan and change that I couldn’t control. Change is what I’m moving forward with. Change is what I’m embracing as I let go of my planned agenda and grab hold of His plan for my future. No…today might not have been planned as I chose, but today I will walk forward with faith in what the Lord is doing in me and in those I love.
faithforward 