The fundamental goodness of each day is taken for granted too often. I had lunch with a friend recently, and as we walked outside, he remarked, “Ah, what a beautiful day,” to which I enthusiastically replied, “Yes, it is!” Only halfway through my drive home did I realize that this was actually a sarcastic comment because it was a misty day of spitting rain in the 40s or 50s. Just a few days ago, another friend was telling me about his travel plans. I said he’d have “a good early morning, then,” to which he replied, “Early, yes, we’ll see about good.” I was frustrated. I considered “good” to be the only unquestionable adjective in that phrase. Early is relative, but good is intrinsic.
Regardless of the external conditions of the day, it is good, for “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad” (Psalms 118:24). We can and should say with the psalmist, “The Lord is with me; I am not afraid; what can mortals do against me?” (Ps 118:6). God is the Creator of all things and our constant companion. Christmas was a month ago, but the reality of what we celebrated does not pass with the holiday. Emmanuel has come – God is with us still. These are the facts: God is good, and God loves us. We must remember that there is a constant throughout our lives, and it is this: everything is a gift. We do not deserve a second of the good time that God created. God does not owe us anything, and our very existence is gratuitous. Not to mention, we screw things up and sin so frequently! We fail God again and again, yet he sustains us. We are imperfect and unnecessary creatures, yet he abides with us, endures with us, dies with us.
With this grounding in the facts of existence, how can a day be bad?
Certainly, occasions arise that are unfortunate for us. We encounter days of sickness, sadness, uncertainty and stress. But God’s particular and abiding love for us should move us to an underlying joy. The recognition of every day as a good day doesn’t devalue our difficulties; rather, it puts them in perspective. Good does not mean happy, and difficult and good are not mutually exclusive terms. No description of a day should be to the exclusion of its goodness.
How can the weather define our days when we know that God is good and accompanies us? How can the hour at which we rise determine the quality of our day when the very fact that we exist is proof of God’s love for us? We should not let rain cloud our vision of the truth. Let’s not measure our days by the number of hours we sleep. God is good, and he loves us. Everything is a gift. Regardless of the ever-changing and sometimes unfavorable circumstances, let’s “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his mercy endures forever” (Ps 118:1).
Not every day is sunshine and rainbows. But every day is good.