Faith, Folklore, and Friends

It's a big, scary world out there. Twenty-four hours a day, multimedia saturates with information. Some useless, some just plain silly, the majority unwelcome. News of terrorism, wars, natural disasters, impending epidemics, fuel prices, abuse, unemployment--it never ends. Christians are promised that we will never left alone or unattended. Legions of angels hover about, guiding, clearing the road ahead. Not scared of the darkness or what lies waiting, they are in complete control, obeying orders sent from the throne. Mighty warriors of God gently hold us in their hands, moving us out of harm's way. Clothed with power too wonderful for earthy eyes, they comform to recognizable images: the kind man with salt-and-pepper hair wearing a black turtleneck, the grizzled old man in a battered Ford who gets you to the airport on time, the homeless unkept there at just the right time. We are told of accidents where trees were missed by mere inches, where a young father was ...

Every day is a gift, time to try again, another chance to do it right. We wake up and decide. Twenty-four empty hours that we fill up, knowing after they are spent, they will never come again. Before we let the dog out or the aroma of coffee fills the kitchen, we can choose to make this good day. There may be speed bumps to avoid, some so enormous that we scramble to find an alternate road. Mistakes made yesterday, or the day before, or the year before, will rise up, seeking to influence our thinking, but they are powerless, gone, forgiven, a part of the past, not a part of this new day. All of us have regrets of time and opportunities wasted, sometimes simply because it was easier not to try; fear of failure can be so frightening. Determine to make this day special! Fill it with things that will bring good memories, smiles when we remember it. If we make a small difference in some one's life today, we will make a large difference in our own. This is the day which the LORD hath mad...