This Is the Day!

This is the day!

Are you familiar with that song?  Here's how it goes:

This is the day   (2nd person or group repeats) 

That the Lord has made.    (repeat)

I (We) will rejoice      (repeat)

And be glad in it.    (repeat)

(Unison)

This is the day

That the Lord has made.

I (We) will rejoice

And be glad in it.

This is the day    (repeat)

(Unison)  That the Lord    has    made!

The scripture that this song is based on is found in Psalm 118:24: 

"This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it."

(English Standard Version - 2001)

The wording of this verse may vary with different versions of the Bible, but the meaning remains clear.  Each day is a precious gift from God, and we should greet each new day with rejoicing and gladness!

I've sung this song at church camp and Vacation Bible School numerous times, and it is one of my favorites.  Maybe that's why I used this song to wake my youngest son Jacob each morning.  Jacob loved to sing, and each morning when it was time to wake him, I would step into his bedroom and sing, "This is the day!" He would immediately sit up and echo the first line of the song. We would then continue singing and finish the song, smiling, of course and end with a big hug. Our day was already off to a great start!

Each day when we awake, we have 2 choices:  We can be thankful and rejoice in the new day, or we can be in a bad mood and complain about going to work or school and how unfair life is.

Similarly, at bedtime, along with prayers I always asked, "What was special about your day?"  I always shared something special about my day, also.  No matter what may have happened that day, I always wanted my boys to focus on the good things.

We all go through tough times.  I remember at one point when we had experienced several health issues and other disasters in our family that I said to my husband, "I wish life would get back to normal".  He replied, "But, Nancy, this is normal".  At that point, I had to agree.  We need to remind ourselves that after raindrops come rainbows; sunshine follows the storm; mountaintops after the valleys.  I now have a picture on my wall with this quote, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.  It's about learning to dance in the rain!"  We cannot control what is going on around us, but we can control how we respond.

Do you see a glass as half-full or half-empty?  The choice is up to you. Rejoice and be glad!

This is the day!!

 

The rainbow - God's Promise!