“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...”. So goes the first line of Charles Dickens’ epic novel, A Tale Of Two Cities. Though I have never read the book (I would like to someday) I am familiar with the famous first sentence. One day I remembered this opening line as I was thinking.
What I was thinking about was life. On a global scale. Every once in a while I feel it’s good to do this. To get beyond our own little world and what’s happening in it. On this particular day I was struck by the thought that for an unknown amount of people, it was the best day of their lives. That’s right, the best day. Perhaps this was due to a birth. Or a wedding. Maybe it was due to a graduation. Or an unexpected inheritance. Maybe they purchased their first car. Or their first home. Maybe it was a long anticipated reunion. Or getting out of the hospital after an illness or an injury. Whatever the circumstance was, they were happy. Very happy. We all love being happy, don’t we?
Unfortunately, I thought about the other side of life. On this particular day I was struck by the thought that for an unknown amount of people, it was the worst day of their lives. That’s right, the worst day. Perhaps this was due to a death. Or a divorce. Maybe it was due to being expelled from school. Or the loss of a lot of money. Through gambling. Or the stock market. Maybe their car was re-possessed. Or their house was foreclosed on. Maybe it was being separated from someone they loved. Or being involved in an accident or diagnosed with cancer. Whatever the circumstance was, they were sad. Very sad. None of us likes being sad, do we?
So there it is. On any given day, it is the best day of someone’s life and the worst day of another person’s life. This is multiplied thousands of times over around the world. And the cycle repeats itself. Daily. Tomorrow will be the best day of someone’s life while for another person it will be the worst day of their life. And the day after tomorrow will bring more of the same. And the day after that.
What to do with this? Well, the Bible gives us a little clue. It’s found in Romans 12:15. “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” This makes sense, doesn’t it? On any given day I just might run into someone who is having the best day of their life. I want to be happy for them. And rejoice. But I could also just as easily run into someone who is having the worst day of their life. I want to cry with them. And enter into their sadness.
Fortunately, the vast majority of days (including our own) are going to fall somewhere in between. And that’s OK. I’m not sure that a steady diet of either day would be beneficial for anyone. Me or you. In the meantime, I want to rejoice in this day. Good, bad or routine, it will never be repeated. Once it becomes tomorrow it is history.
So I will be glad for today. I will try to enjoy today. I will try my best to live for God today. And I'll try to make a positive impact in the lives of others today.
Lord, thank you for those times when You lift my awareness from my own little world to what’s happening in the lives of others. As I encounter people in various circumstances, may You give me the wisdom, strength and grace to respond accordingly. To rejoice with those who rejoice. To weep with those who weep. To rejoice in this day that You have made for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
What I was thinking about was life. On a global scale. Every once in a while I feel it’s good to do this. To get beyond our own little world and what’s happening in it. On this particular day I was struck by the thought that for an unknown amount of people, it was the best day of their lives. That’s right, the best day. Perhaps this was due to a birth. Or a wedding. Maybe it was due to a graduation. Or an unexpected inheritance. Maybe they purchased their first car. Or their first home. Maybe it was a long anticipated reunion. Or getting out of the hospital after an illness or an injury. Whatever the circumstance was, they were happy. Very happy. We all love being happy, don’t we?
Unfortunately, I thought about the other side of life. On this particular day I was struck by the thought that for an unknown amount of people, it was the worst day of their lives. That’s right, the worst day. Perhaps this was due to a death. Or a divorce. Maybe it was due to being expelled from school. Or the loss of a lot of money. Through gambling. Or the stock market. Maybe their car was re-possessed. Or their house was foreclosed on. Maybe it was being separated from someone they loved. Or being involved in an accident or diagnosed with cancer. Whatever the circumstance was, they were sad. Very sad. None of us likes being sad, do we?
So there it is. On any given day, it is the best day of someone’s life and the worst day of another person’s life. This is multiplied thousands of times over around the world. And the cycle repeats itself. Daily. Tomorrow will be the best day of someone’s life while for another person it will be the worst day of their life. And the day after tomorrow will bring more of the same. And the day after that.
What to do with this? Well, the Bible gives us a little clue. It’s found in Romans 12:15. “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” This makes sense, doesn’t it? On any given day I just might run into someone who is having the best day of their life. I want to be happy for them. And rejoice. But I could also just as easily run into someone who is having the worst day of their life. I want to cry with them. And enter into their sadness.
Fortunately, the vast majority of days (including our own) are going to fall somewhere in between. And that’s OK. I’m not sure that a steady diet of either day would be beneficial for anyone. Me or you. In the meantime, I want to rejoice in this day. Good, bad or routine, it will never be repeated. Once it becomes tomorrow it is history.
So I will be glad for today. I will try to enjoy today. I will try my best to live for God today. And I'll try to make a positive impact in the lives of others today.
Lord, thank you for those times when You lift my awareness from my own little world to what’s happening in the lives of others. As I encounter people in various circumstances, may You give me the wisdom, strength and grace to respond accordingly. To rejoice with those who rejoice. To weep with those who weep. To rejoice in this day that You have made for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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