Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow - Whenever!

This morning while I was in the shower (actually, it was yesterday), I remembered that I now get the fun of looking back at the today of yesteryear, in the archives of this blog. I suppose it seems silly, but that thought brought simple excitement! I was eager to finish up with my shower so I could go and see what I wrote a year ago today.

First, I was disappointed to see that I hadn't written anything on May 17th. (I was busy all day with teaching a ladies' Bible study in the morning and getting a perm in the afternoon.) Then an idea hit me: Today I could look back at what I wrote "tomorrow" (May 18, 2005), and then write tomorrow's post today, but publish it tomorrow! That way I get to experience "yesterday, today, and tomorrow" all in one day! So, today's post (actually written yesterday) will be published tomorrow--I mean today. Get it?

What I wrote a year ago on May 18th was all about joy--the joys of yesterday, the newness of today, and the hope of tomorrow:

"There's always another new stage--another segment of our journey--things change, yet there's always new joy to be experienced! There is new joy to be found in every new day, in every new situation, and in every new stage of life. Finding joy in a new segment of my journey through life doesn't mean I have decided that this new stage is better or worse than what brought me great joy before, and it doesn't mean that what I experienced before is now just to be forgotten as I move into the next stage of my life. It just means that my entire life should be a joyful journey--whatever stage I'm in --whatever segment of the journey I'm on -- there will always be new joys just waiting to be discovered!"

Today when I think about joy, I realize again that joy isn't found in the circumstances of my life, it's in the peace and contentment that can be experienced in my daily walk with God, as I learn to find my joy in Him. Yesterday's joy and the newness of today are simply tomorrow's memories! The sadness of yesterday can be replaced by new joyfulness today, and the sadness of today can be replaced by new hope for tomorrow.

I find new hope in this old saying: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Perhaps, therein lies the key to contentment in the circumstances of my life. So, whether I'm parked in pleasant places or riding on rough roads, my goal is to experience contentment--that is, learning to be content, as I keep in mind that "the joy of the Lord is my strength!"