Give us {this} day

The Bear and I have had a busy morning. We baked lemon-poppyseed bread together, I tidied up our mess, we did laundry together (I tidied up the mess), and we went for a quick stroll around the neighbourhood (fortunately, there was no mess to tidy!) After I made lunch, we baked Apple-Cinnamon Bread together, and the Bear finally went down for a nap, while I tidied just one more mess.

{Though this isn’t the lesson, I am happy to reflect that the joint activities of baking and laundry may seem more tedious and more messy when they are done together, especially when together means Mom and her two-year-old, I am very thankful for togetherness, instead of you watch TV so I can get this done and for knowing I’m doing my best to spell love the way the Bear spells it these days: T-I-M-E. 🙂 It’s funny how together often means messy in some way, shape or form, but if we don’t live life together, is it really worth it?}

As I’ve sat down to pray and reflect, the Bear cosy and taking a nap, me waiting on the second loaf in the oven and hoping to soon have a nap myself, I am challenged to remember and to think about this day. It feels good to look back at the list of the morning’s accomplishments, to smile and to say “Lord, you gave me the strength to do this today, and considering I’m a slightly-worn-out pregnant lady, I’d say that’s about as good as bending a bow of bronze. Thank You. And thank You, Lord, that you’ve also given me the wisdom to know that rest is important, too.”

Tomorrow we leave for a very quick trip from Gordon’s Bay to Jeffrey’s Bay, to drop off some shoes and collect others. And there are lots of things on my mind and in my prayers that need to be accomplished. My mind ponders the groceries I need to pick up, the pile of thank-you notes that need to be mailed, the dinner that will need to be made. And my prayers stretch forward to think about the strategic partnerships we are trying to develop, the fundraising and shoe drive campaigns we would like to launch for Samaritan’s Feet South Africa, the vision that we want the Lord to give us for His will for SFSA, the doors we hope He will open. After a little while my thoughts and my prayers begin to tire me out, as I think of new things I could put on my to-do list for today.

But then I’m reminded about this day.

Because this is the one I have right now. And it’s the one I’m supposed to live right now.

And I’m reminded that Jesus prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

And shortly after He said, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow… Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

And all of that leads me back to this day. And on this day I can ask for God’s leading, and I can hope to accomplish the things I’m meant to accomplish today. This leads me to the realisation that if I’m too busy worrying about that day, or that day, or even that day, I might not accomplish what I’m really meant to accomplish today.

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Give us this day our daily bread.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Lord help us focus on living, this day.

xCC