Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
The older I get the less interested I am in New Year’s resolutions. Maybe this is due to my lousy track record in keeping them, but there’s also something I couldn’t put my finger on, until I came across this quote:
I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the year’s
Henry Moore, English sculptor
Now we’re talking!
Moore’s philosophy focuses on taking things one day at a time. It suggests that instead of setting imposing, long-term goals, it’s more effective to focus on small, achievable improvements each day.
His saying along with today’s verse reminds me of the movie “50 First Dates.” It’s a romantic comedy about a man named Henry (Adam Sandler) who falls in love with a girl named Lucy (Drew Barrymore) who due to a past accident, suffers from short-term memory loss. Because of her accident, Lucy forgets everything about the previous day, so Henry must win her over again every single day!
Some of the residents we have met in nursing homes and assisted living facilities have told us that for them every day is pretty much the same. Just like the film, instead of 50 first dates, for them, it’s 50 of the same date over and over. Wake up, eat breakfast, attend a morning activity, have a bath and a nap. And tomorrow? — it’s more of the same.
One stoic philosopher from ancient Rome, offers an antidote for those of us who feel stuck in such a time loop:
Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life.
Seneca
Here, Henry Moore’s day-by-day focus, and the movie character Lucy’s reality, that every day is brand-new join with today’s verse by encouraging us to know that every day belongs to God. He is always doing something new!
Happy 2025, kind reader! Let’s just take it day-by-day, as God leads the way. What do you say?
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
This piece was first published in the Sunshine Weekly Newsletter, a publication which is shared in nursing homes and assisted living centers. A special thank you to Peter Caligiuri, aka “Pastor Pete,” for inviting me to contribute a monthly column! Peter blogs at praise2worship.net
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