Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow

Sometimes I dread the fun things. Do you ever feel like that? You made plans, it's on the calendar, but now that it's time, you just want to stay home under a blankie with a good book? All of us have at one time or another said these words: "I know that once I get there, it'll be fine. But right now, I just don't want to go." We dread and we fret and we complain, but sure as shootin', once we're there, we have a blast!

Sometimes I dread the not so fun things. A doctor's appointment. A root canal. A meeting with someone who is difficult. Even though I love, love, love my hairdresser, I dread hours in the chair, while she works the strange magic on my gray blond hair.

We can ruin an entire day, TODAY, worrying about and dreading tomorrow. While we fixate on the test results, the meeting, the conversation, or the made-up scenarios we play over and over in our mind about tomorrow...the clock is ticking away on today.

I believe that it's all rooted in fear. While certainly there are issues and situations that we need to be concerned with, is our dread and our worry based on fear? I think so, and I think that Jesus thought so too. How many times in our Bibles do we read the words, "Fear not", and "Don't be afraid"? If Jesus was on Twitter, I think that His favorite hash tag would be #donotbeafraid.

Think about it. Today is yesterday's tomorrow.

 

What did you worry about yesterday? Did it come to pass today? Probably not. In the meantime, you missed all the good that was yesterday. You didn't smell the flowers. You were only half present in that conversation. Your stomach was in knots and you didn't eat well. You tossed and turned all night. You didn't even notice the gifts that God had placed all around you, because you were fixated on tomorrow. Now tomorrow is here and what? Most likely you're exhausted and feeling pretty darn bad. For what?

My four year old granddaughter, Ashton, has the right philosophy. Whatever she doesn't want to do today, she says, "We'll do it tomorrow." After making that statement, she puts the issue out of her mind, and more often than not, never thinks about it again. Not even tomorrow, because when tomorrow comes, it's not an issue any more. And most of the time, sweet thing, it's not!

Mark Twain said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.” Ain't it the truth?

Corrie Ten Boom said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

And my all out favorite, Scarlet O'Hara said, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." What a scholar! Fiddle-dee-dee!

Beloved, God has not given you a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1: 7) He loves you so very much and "there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear". (1 John 4: 18)

Your enemy and mine, the accuser of the brethren, and the father of lies wants to paralyze you. He knows that you will be useless and ineffective for the Kingdom of God when you are frozen with fear. Don't give him more credit than he is due when it comes to what he can accomplish in your life and circumstances. Remember that he must first appear and present himself before the Lord, and ask permission to lay one bony, shriveled up finger on your sweet life. (Job 1-2)

I can't make you a fool-proof promise that what you fear will not happen at one time or another. But if it does...if it does...know that God is with you. Know that He is a very present help in time of trouble. Know that one sweet day your problem will be eclipsed by His glory.  He will never let go of you. He's got you in the calm and in the storm, in the highs and in the lows, in the valley and on the mountaintop. 

As for today, if we worry about it all day, we'll go crazy. Let's think about that tomorrow.

Fiddle-dee-dee!

Linking with Rachel
...and May Day Follower Fest