My Day in the Sun

The questions on the board read “What was the best day of your life?” and “What was the worst day of your life?” Like Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities it was remarkable how many in the room recalled the two memories being intertwined with one another.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness;…”

For some the best and worst memories had immediately been recognized as coupled even as they lived through them, while others only saw the connection after years had given a new perspective. I know dark days will come, but if my worst day takes longer than five minutes to recall then it confirms that I have had a blessed life. My best day? I’m still leaving my options open for tomorrow or the next day, but without a doubt I can replay one glorious late afternoon as if I had a recorder waiting to hit play. My husband is a superb vacation planner and on one of the last days of the trip he planned a late afternoon cruise on a catamaran. The boat hugged the coastline while the sun was still high enough that it provided warmth against the cool winds. As we pulled away into the open waters we built up our confidence to first inch and then steadily progress out onto the netting. Others preferred to stay closer to the hull where there was seating and food and protection from the wind. But I loved the wind in my face, being a part of the dip and raise of the boat, hearing the whip of the sails, being able to see the water beneath me and feel the spray of the waves. I could have stayed on that boat for months instead of hours! When we returned to land our boys played on the beach well past sundown, splashing in the surf, digging tunnels in the sand, and looking for shells. We stayed on the beach as long as we could; preserving the memory of a day well lived.

My prayer for the congregation?

Mighty God, You long to share your majesty. We can only appreciate glimpses of your infinite splendor before we are awestruck and mesmerized. We gaze at the majestic mountains and contemplate your grandeur, we search the open waters and compare your vastness, we follow the colors of the sunset and are limited by words , we count the glowing stars and are lost in your creations, and we hear the cry of a baby and are brought to our knees. Of all the incredible wonders we have the privilege of witnessing, the ones with which we have nothing to compare are the miracles of changing evil for good. In our worst days we feel lost and unsure. In our best of days we are certain of your abiding love and resplendent grace. May we be used as instruments of caring, for at our best, we are your servants, yet at our worst, we are loved still. Amazing grace! Amen.