“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” —Jeremiah 29:11 (RSV)
Everything had gone wrong today. The vacuum broke in the middle of my housecleaning frenzy. The wraps I’d planned for dinner hadn’t curled snugly around the too-bountiful fillings, and the result was an unappetizing mess. I’d pulled a muscle in my shoulder and was worried about it stiffening overnight. My mother called to express her displeasure at the infrequency of my visits. A trip to San Francisco loomed, and I hadn’t begun to pack. It was just one of those days.
It took all my willpower not to shriek with the tension that pressed down on me as I darted around the house picking up the lint that the fractured vacuum cleaner had missed. Then my friend Charlie shouted at me from outside to come and see the wondrous sunset. “Hurry up, Marse, or you’ll miss it!” he yelled. I gritted my teeth and trudged outside.
Charlie took me out to the dock that extended into the harbor. I looked up and caught my breath. The western horizon was vivid with streaks of magenta, rose and indigo that lit the entire sky as twilight crept up to meet the intense colors. I was mesmerized. And then I remembered an old saying: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.” Tomorrow would surely bring smoother sailing.
Father, help me remember that Your constant gift is tomorrow.