Friday, July 3, 2009

This is the day

Walking through Times Square in New York City at 6:30 a.m. is a surreal experience. The streets are virtually empty. Yet the billboards are awash with images and the lights are flashing non stop. Just eight hours earlier you could hardly walk through the same area. People were eight thick on the sidewalks and cars were bumper to bumper. Everything was a blur of activity. That's what you think of when you think of the "city that never sleeps."

This morning I saw the other side. It is a world with so much potential. It is just waiting for the world to wake up and take hold of it. It reminded me that we have this opportunity with each day that God gives us. It is filled with possibilities. That's why David wakes up and declares, "This is the day God has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" He sees that the choice to enjoy the day or waste the day is ours.

In the Broadway musical Rent, the cast sings, "525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?" The first time I heard that song I thought about how quickly time flies and how much time we waste.

Each day is a precious gift. It provides an opportunity to live and love, to make a difference in the lives of family and friends. It gives us an open door to build up our community. The potential is there ready and waiting for us to take it. So what are we waiting for?