This Is The Day

I was a little down yesterday. There's usually one week a month where I am.  It just happened this this one hit at a time of crappy news on the radio, TV and internet.  It also hit during a crazy, busy time at work.  And I haven't been sleeping well.

Then I am reminded of my favorite bible verse: Psalm 118:24.  {Side note: Just as I started to write this my Pandora station loaded with The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun.} {Second side note: As I am still trying to continue typing, one of my students posted my second favorite bible verse to her Facebook status (Matthew 6:25-34)}

Let me try this again...Yesterday was a rough day, I need a hug, I keep getting interrupted while I'm trying to share about my favorite bible verse.  YES GOD I HEAR YOU!! :)

When I was born, my mom sang Psalm 118 to me.  I don't actually remember it, but she's told me a few {thousand} times.  It's always been "our" verse.  Ken and I used it in our wedding Mass.  Then I sang it each time my children were born.  I love the Easter season because we hear it a lot at Mass.  Ken always puts his arm around me when he hears the first few notes.  I think he's knows I'm about to cry.  Frances knows it's special too because she flashes me and "I love you" in sign language.

I have little notes and plaques with this verse on it all around my house.  I'd have to double check, but I might have one in every room.  Heck, it's even on my license plate for my van!  It's my go to verse whenever I need to do some serious praying and reflection.

On hard days, I force myself to remember that "Yes, this day too, is a gift from God."  It calms me and reminds me that no matter how difficult and depressing life seems that He has a plan in mind.  He will prevail.  He will bring good out of all things.

I didn't talk to the kids about Boston.  I didn't feel like it was something I needed to bring up.  I did talk to them about Newtown, CT; Frances more than Henry.  I felt like that was a situation she was very likely to hear about elsewhere and be impacted by.  I wanted her to hear about it from me first and get my take on it. 

What I told her is basically what I needed to remind myself of yesterday.  There are bad people in the world who cause bad things to happen.  But the good in this world truly does outweigh the bad.  The bad just seems to get more attention. I do have to say though, that the media seems to be trying to shift their focus lately in the aftermath of disaster.  All of the heartwarming stories of runners helping each other across the finish line, finishers who kept running to go donate blood, and people willing to offer living space for people who were stranded while waiting to hear about loved ones.  Those stories don't make me cry any less, but it is for an entirely different reason.

Goodness needs to get more attention on a regular basis.  We've become numb to the bad because it's all we hear. We start to think that the bad is everywhere, constantly surrounding us.  Out to get us, even.  But that's not true.  We are surrounded my God's goodness and love.  We just don't look for it.  There are days that I force myself to seek it out because I am trying not to forget.

And as I couldn't sleep last night, Psalm 118:24 was the verse that kept going through my brain.  I had lots of ideas floating through my brain of what I wanted to say. Of course most of the "excellent" blog posts that I write in my head while trying to go to sleep never actually make it here.  And this morning it wasn't any different.  Probably because of what I realized as I was writing this post down.  It wasn't about what I needed to say.  It was about what I needed to hear.  And the hug I needed. Because I have gotten the message loud and clear.

"This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

"Here comes the sun!"

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Have a blessed day friends!