'One day at a time'
Rev. James T. Akers
Friday, February 8, 2008
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest, if we do n’t give up.
— Galatians 6:9
The Rev. James T. Akers
State Chaplain, The American Legion.
A tourist visited a cathedral where an artisan was working on a huge mosaic. A vast empty wall was before the artist, and the tourist asked: “Aren’t you worried about all that space that you need to fill up and how you will ever finish it?” The artist replied simply, “I know what I want to do each day. I mark off the spot I want to complete in the morning and focus on getting that done. I don’t worry about what is outside that space. I believe if I take it one day at a time, one day the whole mosaic will be finished.”
The demands of daily living in the dreary winter months can seem overwhelming. We tend to postpone some tasks, hoping for a better day. And a better day will come, even if we have difficulty visualizing it as we slog through the ice and snow. We need to remember that we live in a “four-season state,” and that God is in control not only of the weather, but each one of us.
Now is a good time to evaluate the past and inventory the present. A proper evaluation of the past will enable us to join in praising God for His goodness. Psalm 103 says: “ Bless the lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” These words are uplifting, and should call to mind all the goodness of God in the past, while helping us to face the future with courage and good cheer. Better days really do lie ahead! There is comfort in the truth that the God of yesterday is also the God of tomorrow. God is never out of date. God is never obsolete. God is no antique. God does not change models every year. Our God is the unchanging One who is always adequate to the needs and the stresses of our personal circumstances.
Every individual can experience a lost feeling in the fast paced, sometimes anonymous nature of our technical society. We need to find again, a sense of personal responsibility for others. There are important things that each of us can do, and should do, that will enrich the lives of people we meet every day. Where our duty will take us this year is at best, a matter of conjecture and subject to God’s direction.. The writer, Thomas Carlyle, said: “Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”
Let us dedicate our talents and abilities to serving God, our families, and those around us . By so doing, we will find that even the dreary days will go smoother, and we will find that sense of purpose which brings peace. and relief from apathy and indifference. Someone once wrote: “Man is not naturally a cynic , he wants desperately to believe in himself, in his maker, in his fellow man, and in the nation to which he belongs.”
Each day is the time to remember our blessings and return to our basic beliefs!
Prayer of the people
Without the assurance of Your eternal presence, O God,
we could not begin to manage life from day to day.
In each moment, help us fix our minds on the promise
that You will be with us until the end of time.
Amen.
F “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. James T. Akers of Madison is the state chaplain for the American Legion.