Day #21435
Saturday, May 18, 2024. Today, I work from 7-3. Then, I should have a little time at home chilling out, before going to Mt. Vernon to help my sisters, Melanie, and Sheri with whatever our parents need. Maybe after that, a bite of supper with Terri, and a little TV. It will be a blur of a day.
It's not unusual to work on Saturday. Growing up on a farm, and with dad running the Minit Saver Market, Saturdays were busy days. Here is a picture of the store from the 1980's.
It wasn't anything we dreaded, that's just how it was. Even now, as an adult, my tolerance for working on Saturday is higher than most. I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing.
Job 13:5 "A man's days are numbered..."
Today is my day # 21435. Why would I even know this?
Math and spreadsheets have always interested me. I joke that in high school I got mixed up with the wrong crowd, the smart kids. Once you are on the advanced math track, there is no getting off that train.
In 7th grade, I was placed in Algebra 1. That was the beginning of my math journey. By the time I got to high school, it was advanced math with Ms. Betty (BJ) Yates. Calculus, Analytical Geometry, Trigonometry, and some other ometry's I don't remember.
By my senior year, I was in over my head. Ms. Yates was very patient. I stayed with it. I did my homework, never missed class, and didn't cause problems. When grades came out, I was thrilled to get a "C."
Ms. Yates was a unique and beautiful person. She and my Aunt Jeanette were life long friends. Aunt Jeanette was a mess too. Unlike anyone I've ever known. The Curlee's had a few of those people. Dad's mom, Margaret was a Curlee, from Woodbury in Cannon County.
Maybe Ms. Yates gave me some slack because she knew my family. Maybe I earned that "C". We will never know.
About the same time, dad and I started shooting clay targets. Skeet it was called. The Mill Road Gun Club, in Estill Springs, had a guy in charge named Scotty. And also out there was BJ Yates. She was a great shot, and very serious about the sport. She even worked as a referee, and helped manage the gun club. BJ also worked at Interstate Liquors, for years, and at the Minit Saver for my dad.
So math and spreadsheets are the reason I know what today is. I made a spreadsheet a while back to track mine and Terri's retirement. One of the cells holds the current date, and another calculates my number of days.
Psalms 90:12 talks about our days...
"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom...Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom."
Maybe that is partly why I know what today is. There is a desire to know. Maybe today will be something special, maybe not. But it is the day we have.
Psalms 118:24
"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
It's not always easy to rejoice. Bad things happen, and some days are terrible. But deep down, we know that this is the day we have. Today is one thread in the tapestry of time that makes up our life. Christians believe that God has a bigger plan. With the promise of forever in Heaven, Christians have a longer view of things. We know that the final victory is ours.
The word "rejoice" means to have joy. Joy is way down deep. We can have joy and at the same time, tears in our eyes. You wouldn't think that great sadness, and joy can know each other, and even be friends. With Jesus in our heart, and the Christian view of time, we can rejoice, even on the bad days.
Psalms 39:4.
"O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting I am."
Aging changes things. I've been blessed to have a bunch of days on this earth. Hopefully many more to look forward to. The knees, hands, back, etc. are not what they used to be. This aging process makes you understand what "fleeting," means. Nothing lasts forever. Our time here is brief.
We should all do something with the time we have that makes a difference: For God, for our family, for friends, for strangers, for dogs and cats.
Look around. Volunteer at a shelter. Introduce yourself to an older person that needs someone to talk to. Go to church. Sing the songs. Listen to the pastor. Feed the birds. Plant some flowers. Leave your self open for a blessing.
Today I will try to slow down the blur of time. The challenges, blessings, and wisdom of today are mine.
Let's go, day # 21435! What do you have for me?
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Turns out the day ended with this beautiful sunset. I stopped and took a picture by the railroad tracks. Another story about that soon and the link will be here...
It was a blur of a day. Not at all perfect. With the setting sun, I was reminded that it was a day the Lord made. There are plenty of things to be thankful for.
