Win the Day

There are many days that simply do not start well. And though I try my hardest to remove myself from the equation, often blaming inanimate objects and any poor series of events for the way my day has started, I have to admit that days neither favour the good nor the bad.

Now, it is true that sometimes our alarm clocks don’t ring.

Or the first words we hear that day are negative.

Or our sleep the night before was not first class.

But as I grow and age, more and more I am coming to see the world (and each day) the way the Saints did.

And how is that, you ask?

But if you happen to fail at any point, know that it’s okay. Simply get up, repent, redouble your efforts, humble yourself, and show greater mercy towards others the next chance you get.

Every morning, I try to receive every piece of bad news, every traffic jam, every unkind word or every poor night of sleep as a challenge to do what is unexpected.

And the absolutely unexpected thing to do is to choose to do what is good, no matter what.

It is like fighting a daily battle.

Over and over again, the saints of the Church fought the inclination to let the “poor start” take over and win the day.

Instead, they pushed back hard and counted their many wins even as they were brutally honest with their losses.

Did I get out of bed on time? Check.

Did I do my morning prayer? Check.

Did I say one kind thing when I saw so and so? No, I didn’t ...

The wins led to more challenges and the losses led to repentance, a renewed effort, greater humility, and a growing sense of mercy towards others in their brokenness.

Over time it no longer mattered for the Saint whether a day started poorly or not, what mattered (and should matter for you and me) is how she or he responded to it.

So friend, win the next challenge. And then the next.

But if you happen to fail at any point, know that it’s okay. Simply get up, repent, redouble your efforts, humble yourself, and show greater mercy towards others the next chance you get.

Doing so will not only win the day but it will also win souls, beginning with your own.

in Christ,

patrick