I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:19-23
It seems like I should have enough practice by now getting through a day I lived a year prior, and endured the previous year, and survived each year before that… but there are still certain dates I dread. No matter where I am, who I’m with, what I do – I’m still the common element.
There’s no escaping a pivotal moment that changed the course of history – setting off a chain reaction radically propagating each transformation until reaching steady state. Unlike events that are honored, esteemed, and cherished, some happenings may require a number of seasons to evolve towards bittersweet.
But as these days approach, it’s best to be proactive – creating a plan that impresses utility, imprints value, and inspires hope. This is because I’ve seen night fade into a thin strata of color, followed by the sun cresting the horizon. The next day acts like yesterday never existed. It marches in fearlessly, overtakes the darkness, and consumes the past.
The experience of the good that awaits makes the former appear untrue – as if it were a bad dream in contrast to the reality known when I awake. It is a welcome retreat, and I arise eager to experience the unexpected, the unexplainable, the unfathomable gift prepared for me that day. It is a day I will greet with arms lifted up, hands wide open, and a heart that is grateful.