The Best Day of the Year
“Write on your hearts that every day is the best day of the year.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson]
There is such a fault among us — especially in myself. We tend to think that somewhere in this year there is going to be a very special day or maybe a few special days. We talk about that special day and look forward to it as each and every other day goes by. We see a beautiful mountain peak in the far distance, and we begin traveling toward that peak. We keep our eyes on it, and it is the topic of our conversation. But the tragedy is that by seeing only the mountain peak, we fail to see the beauty of the path that we are traveling. We do not see the flowers along the way; the sorrel is ignored; the fragrance of the blossoms is missed. We do not see the brook babbling its downward course. We see not the verdant valleys nor the hillsides checkered with sheep and cows. The flitting butterfly is not within our vision.
So if we set our sights on some “special” day, we miss the real joy and beauty of all the other days. You see, I may not reach the mountain peak. Then I would have missed all the beauty of the journey. I may not find that one special day. But by realizing that today is the best day of the year, I can savor every moment. I can drink in the beauty of the sunrise; I can walk in the glory of the noontime. I can taste the honey of the afternoon and revel in the glories of God’s paintbrush as he puts the finishing touches on the sunset. I can reach out to the joy of companionship and share in the excitement of love on this special day. Let me not set my eyes in some distant peak that would blind me to the joys around me. Let me not think only of some distant day to the neglect of this moment of time. Let me know the happiness of this hour, the joy of this day, and the elation of this moment in time. It will never be here again!
"This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24).
