Best Days!

For it is written, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

Sometimes in this life questions are posed to us that cause us to stop and take a long look at our lives, past, present, and future. The realization that we have more days behind us than ahead of us is sobering, but it is a reality for many of us. Someone recently started a discussion and asked, “What is your best day so far? What is your worst day so far?” The only rule was that your best day couldn’t the birth of a child, and the worst day couldn’t be losing a loved one.

I posed this question to Randy, and he said, “My best day was our wedding day, isn’t that right?” It’s better to err on the side of caution when answering questions some time. After stating the obvious, he could come up with many “best days” and almost as many “worst days.”

I am not as quick, and my mind immediately went to movie City Slickers! This movie is the saga of three friends who are experiencing a mid life crisis. In order to get away from it all, they decide to go off together to “get their smiles back,” so the guys head off to a cattle ranch in New Mexico for two weeks to take part in a real cattle drive along with others who are there for the same experience. The movie is a comedy, but there are some moments where the three friends, Mitch, Phil, and Ed, make one think about life by asking questions and revealing such emotional truth that it sticks with you forever.

The three guys are long time friends, but they are as different as can be. Mitch is a pessimist who dwells on everything that he hates about every aspect of his life. Phil is going through a messy divorce. Ed is an adventurer who is constantly testing his limits. They each tell about their best day and their worst day, and each one tells a differenet story.

In their conversation, MItch begins by telling the story of his best day. His Dad took him to see Yankee Stadium and watch a game. Mitch describes in detail the green grass, the brown dirt, and the green copper roof. It was marvelous he says, because their family had a black and white tv, and he had no idea how colorful a stadium could be. He says that he spent the entire day sitting next to his dad learning how to keep score, and Mickey Mantle hit a homer. He still has the program. Mitch’s worst day was when his wife thought she had breast cancer. It turned out to be fine, but that time was his worst. Sometimes our worst days turn out to be our best days!

Phil says his best day was his wedding day when he felt like he had made it. He wasn’t a goof ball anymore, but a man. He remembers that it was outside, his bride was beautiful, all the groomsmen were smiling at him, and his Dad (who wasn’t the warmest of men) winked at him. He follows it up by saying his worst day has been every day since that day!

Ed’s best day is the day he told his abusive father to leave. He told him that they didin’t love him anymore, and that he would take care of his mother and his sister. His father raised his hand to hit Ed, but he stood his ground, and his father left. Ed did take care of his Mom and help raise his sister. His worst day was that same day!

The best days for me are those days spent making memories and making every day count. A friend from the Ukraine asked me the other day, “Why do some of you Americans say, “Well, I’m here” when they are asked “how are you?” He continued, “They should be grateful for this day, but they sound like they are wondering why they are still here?” I have to agree. God isn’t only interested in our final destination. He wants to work in us and through us on the journey.

First, a Christian’s best day should be one where we are clear about our assignment. So, the best days should be when we feel like Nehemiah when he said, “I am doing a great work, so..I cannot come down.”

Next, we should prioritize tasks in the order of importance. When tasks take on an urgency rather than an importance, we miss great opportunities to have our best day.

Finally, we need a definitive timetable. One of the biggest excuses that prevents us from having our best day is, “I’ll do it later.” Tomorrow isn’t promised, so make every day count!

God has promised us that our best days are still ahead of us, and that none of us can begin to imagine what He has prepared for those who love Him.