What Day Is It?

"This is the day The Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24)

   This year Garfield the Cat from the comics turns 263 years old. OK  not really, but ti feels like the comic strip has been around a long time doesn't it?  It's not too far fetched to imagine Benjamin Franklin whispering to Patrick Henry at the Continental Congress, "Did you read Garfield this morning?  At the end he shouts, Give Me Lasagna, or Give me death."  Henry says. "Hey that's not bad.  I night need to change a few things, but I like it."

  Why has Garfield  remain so popular for so long?  People enjoy the humor.  There is a familiarity now. We know what we are going to get with the big orange cat.  And he displays both an intense love for food, and a an equally intense dislike of Mondays.

  How do you feel about Mondays?  It may be one of the most divisive of days. Everyone loves  Friday.  Saturdays and Sundays are pretty beloved. Wednesday gets to be Hump day.  But then there is Monday.  No one ever says TGIM to you when you get to work on Monday. At least not within arm's length. You have no camels wandering through the building shouting, "Guess What Day it is, Monday!!"

  Monday doesn't even get any happy songs. Saturday gets Chicago singing "Saturday In the Park".  Friday gets a disco infused, "Thank God It's Friday", Lionel Ritchie sang about "It's Easy, easy like Sunday Morning (full disclosure Lionel Ritchie has never been a pastor or tired to get three children under the age of 10 ready for Sunday School).  What does Monday get? The Bangles have a "Manic Monday" and of course Fats Domino gave us "Blue Monday".

  I was stuck by all of this as I scrolled down my Facebook post this Monday morning.  There were several, perhaps even more than usual, posts about  it being Monday.  "I hater Mondays" "quick poll what's the worst thing about Monday?" "Typical Monday ughh".   But every now and then a positive Monday post would pop up. "Looking forward to today"  "I like Mondays it gives em a new week, a chance to start over."  I began to wonder what makes the difference between those that hate Monday and those that seem to be able to deal with it, if not love it?

  It would be easy to narrow it down to circumstances. If everything is going well you probably  have a great Monday. Or if you don't have to work on that Monday.  I hardly ever see anyone complain about Monday when ti's a holiday. But if you're like everyone else and your circumstances are tough, you are going to have a difficult Monday.

  But I hate to have my attitude, or my demeanor dictated by my circumstances.  That's really arbitrary. I can't control my circumstances. Am I then left to twist in the wind  not just Monday, but every day? can my joy and happiness find no better platform than what might be happening on any particular day?  Besides our demeanor is often a self fulfilling prophecy isn't it? If I go into any circumstance, or any day, looking for something to go wrong to prove how bad a Monday is, I'll eventually find it.

    Is there nothing better on which we can relay?  Take a moment, scroll back tot eh top of the page and reread the Scripture.  Dr. JC McPheeters, was known to wake up every morning and shout this verse at the top of His lungs. His booming voice would echo throughout the house, "This is the Day The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  It didn't matter where he was or who he stayed with, this is how his day started. Unfortunately for those he stayed with, his day would start around 4:00 Am followed by rigorous house shaking exercise.
  Aside from maybe not being the best house guest for those who aren't morning people, Dr. McPheeters was known to be someone who radiated joy and optimism, even on a Monday.  How did he do this? I believe Dr. McPheeters had unlocked the truth of this verse.

    This is the Day The Lord has made.  Meditate on that for a moment. This verse reminds us that God is in control.  Oh our particular day may be full of trials and worries, but we need not be over taken by them. Despite what our day may say to the contrary , The Lord made this day, and He is in control of it.  There is no need to fear a Monday that God in which God is in control.

  God made this day, therefore He has a plan for it.  When any day, not just Monday, seems to be spiraling out of control, I often find great comfort knowing that God has created this day. he has a plan for my life, a plan in which he will reveal Himself and sue this day for His glory.  It's caused me to rethink my prayer life. I tend to pray less, "God give me what I want today" and more "God just allow yourself to be revealed through my life today"

  God will be seen in any day he makes. Just as an artist's nature and character is sen though his/her works, so will God's nature and character be seen in any day he has created.  And since God is a good God, and the first chapter of Genesis tells us what ever he makes is good, somewhere in this day I will experience a blessing. God's going to do something good today, somewhere and I'll be a part of it. So when we understand that this day is a day the Lord has specifically made how can our response be anything but rejoicing and gladness?

    I'm not suggesting you get up at 4:0o AM shouting this verse at the top of your lungs. I am suggesting that remembering the truth of this verse, that This day, no matter what it might hold, is a day the Lord has created will give you cause to rejoice and be glad.  Even on a Monday.

In Christ,

Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><