Tomorrow

Anne of Green Gables was one of my mother's favorite mini-series. I think the thing I truly enjoyed about it was the eternal optimism of Anne. No matter what mischief she seemed to find, her wonderful philosophy of life shined through. "Tomorrow is fresh and new with no mistakes in it."

When I look in the rear view mirror of my life, there are lots things that I would do differently given the chance. I am not sure I share the sentiments of the person who says, "I wouldn't do a single thing differently, because it has made me the man I am today." I now understand that had I done a few things differently I could have been a better father, husband, leader, employee and a better representative of God's kingdom. While I can't change the past - I certainly can learn from it.

The good news is, tomorrow is fresh and new with no mistakes in it. Now that may all change by 5:30 in the morning, but for the moment I prefer to put on my rose colored glasses and plan for the best. As David reminds us, "This is the day which the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalms 118:24).

Time is a precious commodity. I prefer not to squander it! Tomorrow I might lose my job, wreck my car, or discover I have cancer. Most of those things I have little control over. I can worry about the weather, the economy, or the war in Iraq, but that would rob me of my joy. I could worry about all those things, but why should I allow the future to rob me of the present. For the moment I choose to be happy, I choose to love God and my family, I choose to believe in what is good, noble, and honorable in this world.

What does this all have to do with ministry? I am not sure, except I believe that God created us to love life and love our fellow man. I believe when we hold up our heads, expect the best and walk uprightly with God that others are drawn to that. They want to know what is different about us. My disposition clearly affects my ability to effectively minister to others.