Game Day

Psalms 118:24  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in 
it.

There are those days in our lives that are set aside from the rest, when something is 
greatly anticipated and for which there is a large amount of preparation. Birthdays, 
graduation, game day, vacations, recitals, concerts, marriage, etc. are those dates that 
receive a greater amount of attention. While some of these days will just come and go 
without much required effort, there are those that will not happen without the proper 
amount of preparation and planning. These are the days that have great potential for 
embarrassment and nightmare fodder- like walking across the graduation platform in 
your underwear, losing your jersey on game day, getting a hole in one on the day you 
were supposed to be saying "I do" to your new wife, or slamming your fingers in the car 
door on the day of your senior recital. These days have a lot riding on choices made prior 
to their dawning, and, while their sun will set and another day will follow, the 
opportunity that they held will be lost if the appointment wasn't kept, the proper clothing 
wasn't worn, the rehearsals were put off, or the flight and hotel reservations weren't 
made. 
How many days of importance were passed by only because they weren't scheduled and 
prepared for? I believe that those who have risen to their potential in greatness and 
production are those who have learned to schedule more game days and make the most 
of them as special and significant. For some, every day is pretty much the same as 
another, while those who acquire the titles and the moments of recognition are the ones 
who have preceded those obvious days of honor with many, many days that have been 
their own 'special' day. Hanging the Doctor sign on the door was preceded by so many 
days that held no title, but were days of essential accomplishment for the intern. The 
reciting of marriage vows was preceded by days that were held as important in 
developing a relationship, while the kept vows over a lifetime of faithful devotion is filled 
with days of opportunity. Without the preparation and significance given to any of those 
'normal' days, the couple "falls out of love", the athlete gets fat and slow, and the student 
isn't prepared for the required finals. 
There is a day of rejoicing in which God's goodness, mercy and incredible ability produce 
a victory that is wonderful and marvelous. This is a day of great significance and 
importance, a day upon which the decisions of many depend and the development of 
nations and organizations relies. This is a day set apart from any other and one that is an 
essential step towards the ultimate victory. While this day may not be one that makes the 
headlines or the standard calendar as a holiday or 'named' day, upon this day all 
subsequent greatness depends, and without this day there can be no continued progress 
to the fulfilled end. This, though, is a day that will pass with no relevance or importance 
in the part of the world where it is given not no anticipation, preparation, or recognition. 
Today is this day, and, like the 10 virgins in Matthew that considered every day to be the 
day of the bridegroom's arrival, the final rejoicing will not be the experience of all, only 
those who consider each and every day to be a significant day of prepared celebration. 

1/12/07