Monday, February 19, 2024
“Make Today a Good Day!”
On the first Monday of the Lenten Season, let’s tackle something a bit strange and potentially difficult. Let’s make today a good day, no matter what happens.
This Challenge is one that I’ve included in previous year’s Challenges. I’ve discovered that putting it on a Monday is especially difficult because Monday is usually the least favorite of the week. Even before Susanna Hoffs and the Bangles taught us to sing “Manic Monday” back in 1985, we had already developed a bad taste for the arrival of a new week.
As I write those last few words, I realize how wrong I’ve been all these years. Monday isn’t a day to resent; Monday brings the beginning of a new week. Simply translated, Monday brings us the opportunity to start over and potentially experience a week filled with hope and joy. All this time, I’ve been upset with Monday because it means it’s time to get back to work or school, neither of which are anyone’s favorites.
However, if I begin to approach Monday from the opposite perspective, I might discover something new and exciting. What would happen if I committed myself to make this a good day? Can my outlook truly change the things that occur today? Can a smile on my heart and face really turn a bad day into a good day, or a bad week into a good week?
Sure, I understand that I can’t change everything that occurs around me. I can’t change the fact that I just spilled coffee on my pants, and neither can I change the fact that I’ve just received a couple of challenging texts and emails that are going to require immediate attention and resounding patience. But what would happen if I just made a quick run back home to change my pants to resolve the problem? What happens if I receive those texts or emails with a blessing instead of a curse?
I’ll never know the answers to those questions unless I give it a try. Today is Monday and lots of people won’t be smiling. I ain’t gonna be one of them. Today is going to be a good day, not because I make it so, but because God made it so that I can have a new week to serve, play, and enjoy!
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24, ESV)
