My morning is not going very well.  

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I overslept (like most days).

My wife is sick and staying home from work.  

That means I will have to take on some of her responsibilities at work.

Wednesdays are currently my longest day.  

I had made plans to go to the bank today, planning for all of my classes yesterday, so that I could afford to go this morning.  When I awoke it was raining. The rain had stopped by the time I left to head to the bank. However, the humidity remained.  This is just the beginning.  The first rain of the summer. The monsoons are yet to come. This rain though, the first of the summer, brings with it the humidity that makes Korean summers torturous.  

What really derailed the morning, however, was when, upon arriving at the bank, I discovered that I had forgotten my wallet.  I tried to do the business I needed to do with my bank book (a passport sized book that Korean banks issue to customers). However, the ATM gave me an error, and then the guy behind the desk told me my bank book needed to be registered… [shouldn’t it already be registered?? I mean, I have been a customer of this bank for 3 years! but I digress]. When he reached for a large form for me to fill out, I graciously said “never mind”, and walked away.  

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So, all in all, not a horrible start to the day…but rough.  Not a good prelude to a long day at work, right?  

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But see.  Here’s the thing: 

This day was glorious before it ever began.

Psalm 118:24 says “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  

My complaints are actually quite insignificant.  That is not to say that God doesn’t care. Neither does it invalidate how inconvenient or infuriating these situations might be, especially when combined into a stampeding mammoth-suck-beast.  

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But it does provide a bit of perspective.  

God is King.  He is Creator and Sustainer of the universe.  

Nothing that happened today was a surprise to Him.  

And lately, I’ve been very encouraged by a couple of promises from Scripture:

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I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

and I know that

God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. (Romans 8:28)

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And so in hope I strike out into this day. I will step out in faith; into my classroom, into the office, into the hallways and into the streets in faith.  Knowing that nothing that befalls me this day is outside of God’s will, knowledge or allowance.  

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So, what about you?  Have you ever had a day with a rough start redeemed by a healthy dose of perspective and promise?  

  1. johntrammell posted this