Friday, July 14, 2006

Was it a "good" day?

My day is coming to a close. The house is finally quiet. Aaaah. It is my favorite time of day. I've always wondered if that is a bad thing. The Bible talks about being children of the light and the day, not children of the darkness. I know these are metaphors for good and evil and evil usually lurks in the darkness, but the darkness is so peaceful to me. At night I can really think. No more running around, no more appointments or phone calls or tasks or decisions. I give myself permission to rest. And I savor the quiet. I fear one day I will be an old grouchy woman who can't stand any amount of noise. (I don't dare say this around my kids--they probably think I'm already there!)

And so in the quiet of this evening I wonder what came of this day? How can I judge it? More importantly, how will God judge it? Did I further His kingdom today? Did I make Him smile or shake His head? I was both kind and critical, giving and selfish, busy and wasteful with my time. I got in the pool with the kids this afternoon, but got angry with them tonight. I ate too much junk and didn't pray enough for others. I was attentive and distant, accommodating and guarded.

What makes one day better than another? Do we measure our success by our level of happiness? Do we measure it by how we persevered in the trials of life? Can we say it was a good day if our good deeds outnumber the bad? What does God think is a "good day"? My mind is tired. Can you tell?

I'm going to bed now. I'm going to lay there very still and listen to the silence hum. GOOD night.

2 comments:

Kara Bird said...

Wow... that sounds like my thoughts so many days. Most of the time I get to the end and go, "Was anything accomplished today besides me worrying about me?" It's good to put into perspective sometimes what a "good" day really is... though also hard. I hope my definition continues to line up more and more with God's. It's a little off some days. Great thoughts as usual! :)

Anonymous said...

At the end of my day when my house is quiet and work is finished and it's just me and Him I always wonder "God, did I make you proud today?" What constitutes a good day is an excellent question to ponder on for a while. You're making me think as always! Love you.