The Elements of a Good Day, a Great Day, and an Amazing Day

Thursday had all the makings of a great day.  I shorted myself $65.  Additionally, I was way over budget at the grocery store.  To make matters worse, I bought two weeks’ worth of the wrong yogurt, the wrong deodorant, scented candles with VERY little scent, and a useless piece of technology - then I threw away the receipt.  Hence, these worthless items belonged to me.
I discovered I had done one absent-minded thing after another from the time I left the house.  However, at the close of the day, I came to the firm conclusion that it had been a great day and I was looking forward to either a great day or an amazing day tomorrow.

In my mind, the following elements are how we should define our days: 

• A good day is any day we awake with breath in our bodies.

• A great day is any day that we take that breath and use it to give honor to God.
  
• An amazing day is when we awake on the other side of Glory in the arms our Savior and are forever worshipping at the Throne of God in total awe and amazement.
  
  

In spite of the less-than-desirable events of the day, I can still describe it no other way than to say it was a great day.  When I came out the grocery store, shaking my head in disbelief that I was that far over budget, the thought came to me that it was time to praise God. 

As Christians, we tend to “call down all of Heaven” when we have problems and then offer the obligatory, half-hearted “Thank you” when God delivers us from the situation.  I told God I wanted to learn to praise and thank Him just as fervently as when seeking His deliverance.  I wanted to thank Him when my little world is falling apart just as much as I do when all is well. 

Time to put Operation Crazy Praise into effect. 

I sat in the car and began to thank Him. 

•  “Lord, I thank you that my going over budget doesn’t mean the mortgage won’t get paid or the utilities.” 
• “I thank you that You’ve given me a sound mind to know that I am over budget.”
• “I thank You that you gave me a husband with enough sense to know we needed to have some sort of budget.”
•  “Thank You for giving me a man with wisdom as a husband and some oversized boy.”
• “I thank You that I have the health and strength to lift my own groceries into this car.”
•  “I thank You for this car
•  “I thank You that I have a house to bring this items to.”
•  “Thank You for the refrigerator and pantry to store these items until we need them.”
• “I thank You for the hedge of protection that you have placed around me that no hurt, harm, or danger has come to me this day as I am out and about.”
•  “Lord, I thank You for watching over my family while I’m gone.”
• “I thank You for keeping my husband.”
• “I thank You that my husband has a sound mind to be able to work his job and provide for us.”
• “Laaaawd… Jeeeesus!!!  Thank Ya’…”  By this time, my head was rocking, my feet were tapping, and my hands were waving!  I had some loud-I-don’t-care-who-sees-me-crazy-praise going on in my car.

So, how’s your day going?  If you’re a believer, it should be either a good day or a great; and one day, it will be an amazing day.  Until then, have a great day.

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