Handling Eves' Next Days

The next two Sundays, in various ways, people across the globe will celebrate two Eves.  Not two spouses of Adam, mind you; but two evenings prior to significant calendar days - the Eve of Christmas and the Eve of 2018. 




Eves serve as periods of anticipation. 

The two in December offer times to anticipate a joyous celebration of the first century birth of Jesus the Christ and the arrival of a fresh set of 365 days. 

During the next set of days, you will experience many more eves - mostly non-calendared.  Eves occur as expectant mothers prepare for their baby's introduction to the world.  Eves occur as terminally ill patients' days shorten.  Final exams serve as eves as do performance reviews.  Whether an eve is calendared or unexpected, the day that follows it holds surprises - always! 

Those surprises take the form of things like:
- exciting mysteries at the foot of your Christmas stocking
- "It's a girl!"
- aced exams
- "negative" results on biopsy tests

Those surprises also take the form of things like:
- disappointment upon unwrapping your gift
- "We need to get her to the NICU!"
- C-s or, worse yet, Fs
- "positive" results on biopsy tests

We have no way of knowing, with complete certainty, what each tomorrow (each day after our eves) will bring.  We do know, however, how we can handle each eve's next day.  We can handle those days' events when we echo (and believe) the words of Job.

25 I know that my redeemer lives,
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns within me!
Job 19:25-27 (NIV)

And we embrace the words of Jesus.

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”     Matthew 28:20b (NIV)

The eves are coming; as are the days after.  As they do, we will do well to echo the words of Ira Stanphill from his song, "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow." 

"Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand;
But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand."

#ordinarylives