In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
–Proverbs 16:9
“It’s a new dawn,
It’s a new day,
It’s a new life…for me…
And I’m feeling…good.”
–“Feeling Good” by Nina Simone
In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.
–Psalm 5:3
For most of my adult life I looked at every day as a “do-over.” No matter how much I’d messed up, or missed my goals, or frittered away the gift of time…the next day, and the next, and the next, was a chance to do it over…
But I changed that recently…
Now I say every day is a fresh start.
See, “do-over” implies, I don’t know, past failures or missteps, broken vows to yourself or others or God…a “fresh start” looks simply at the now…no judgment, a clean slate (one of my friends calls this the “clean slate club”)…
When Jesus saved me, when I accepted Him as my Savior and Lord, when He died for ALL of us, He gave me a clean slate on which would be written my new life!! With each sunrise, there it is!…nothing written up in the corner, no reminders…the previous day completely erased…
But it’s hard to leave the past behind…after all, it’s familiar. Even if it sucks or is decidedly unhelpful, it’s weirdly…comfortable. Clean slates are SCARY…if we think we’ve got to fill them up ourselves…
But we don’t, and we’re not meant to.
So, in the morning (well, MOST mornings, because, well, some mornings all I can manage is, “Lord…thank You.”)…I wake up and whisper, “Lord, thank You for another day! You’re not done with me yet. Let it not be a ‘to-do’ list, let it be a ‘for-You‘ list. Guide me through this day, Lord, on the path that You’ve already set for me, and help me to trust and step forward with You!”
Another step. A fresh start. A clean slate.
Gratitude…then trust…then WAIT…
And then…who knows?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”–Jeremiah 29:11
He knows.