“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Recently, as I was searching through some of my eating healthy cookbooks, I came across the above quote from the “Eating Well Cookbook” written by Dr. Jean Harvey-Berino, Ph.D., R.D. From this quote some other thoughts came to mind.
Philippians 3:13 (New Living Translation): “…Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
And an old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
A year or so ago, I walked in a 5K race with a dear friend whose daughter was going to run. She wanted to walk and asked if I would sign up and walk it with her. Despite the cool, rainy day, I was very enthusiastic about walking. I was reminded that when you are in a race, you don’t keep looking behind you–you look in front to see where you are going (to reach the goal). So why do so many of us “look behind”–looking at our past failures, our blunders, uncertainties, and wrong choices?
Many psychologists would explain that these mis-perceptions are due to a lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, and/or one is not satisfied or feel unfulfilled in what he or she is doing with their life (i.e. job choice, family relationships, future goals, etc.). To an extent, dissatisfaction and feeling unfulfilled with your current situation or circumstances could and would have some bearing on one’s attitude and one’s perceptions and expectations for themselves.
The Word of God does tell us that we are not to worry about what we eat or drink or about what we wear. However, when you look at the headlines on various magazine publications at the bookstore, one has a tendency to think that they are not good enough; not pretty or thin enough; they don’t have the right job; and they are constantly searching for “the next thing”; and often feel a void or emptiness within themselves.
God, on the other hand, says that we were created in His own image. If that is definitely the case, then one can only believe that God created all things “good” and beautiful, including each of us. We are a reflection of God’s goodness in our lives through and by the Holy Spirit living in our hearts. Our attitudes, thoughts, and actions should mirror the love of
God living in and through us, and that He directs our paths.
I loved Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote because truly “tomorrow is a new day” to begin anew–let us rejoice and be glad in it so others can see God’s love in us. Forget those things behind us (yesterday, last week, or a month ago) and live each day with a renewed spirit for His honor and glory.
Today is Mother’s Day and I truly pray that each mother will tap into their inner God-given strengths and embrace motherhood with a renewed vigor each day. Being a parent is definitely not without its challenges, but the rewards are many. As a mother I have had to meet certain challenges head on as well. Now my daughter has her own little one to take care of and “train in the ways of the Lord.” My grandson has truly been a blessing not only to me, but to his mommy and daddy as well. Whether you are a working mom or are a stay-at-home mom, continue to trust the Lord with all your heart and He will bless you abundantly in all that you do for Him.
Blessings,
Yvonne