“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
– Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

Well, here we are! 2020 is slowly fading in our rearview mirror as our attention shifts to a new year approaching full-speed through our front windshield. Time just keeps on moving regardless of our circumstances. 2020 has presented unwanted challenges for us all. Many aspects of our lives have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, yet day by day, time marches on. We often find ourselves hoping that time will pass quickly so we can put our troubles behind us. I’m often reminded that wishing away our lives is not a very good idea. Time is a precious commodity.  One blessing the 2020 pandemic has brought into my life is seeing and understanding the value of each and every day. My mindset has gradually shifted away from what the future might hold, to what can I do to make today the best day ever? What can I do today to become a better person, a better spouse, a better friend or a better witness for Jesus?

No matter how young or how old we are, no really has more than the present moment. Today, right now, is what we have, and we must decide what we want to do with it. We will never have it again! Too often we choose to live in the past wasting our valuable present. The past is the past and it’s gone. Let it go! We must learn to focus our energy and resources on the present. Use today to make yourself a better you. Use today to make a new friend or encourage an old one. Get rid of a bad habit or develop a habit that improves your life. Stop wishing and start working. Stop doubting and start believing. Stop blaming and start encouraging. Stop putting things off and start doing. Start living the way God wants us to live—with richness, with purpose, with boundless energy and with unlimited love. What are you waiting for?

Father, thank You for this day. Help me to see that this very moment is a gift from You. Teach me to be joyful and to take delight in it. Amen.