One day I said to an individual, “Have a great day!” My Dad was walking with me and later said, “Let me suggest something to you. It’s ok to tell someone to have a great day, but that can be a passive statement where we just sit back and hope to have a great day. It would be better to say, ‘Make it a great day!’ That means there is intentionality. That means there’s something you have to do for the day to be great.”
I took my Dad’s advice. Great days don’t just happen by chance. Great days occur when we ask for God’s help. He does his part, and we do our part to make it a great day.
Each morning you have a fresh new day in front of you. It’s a great opportunity. The key to success is not measured by how many days we live, but how much we live each day. The important thing is not the quantity of days, but the quality of each day. We don’t know how many days we have to live, but this is the best day to start asking God to help us make this day great.
We make a great day by making every minute count. I heard about a professor who was going to a military base to speak. He was met at the airport by a young man named Ralph. As they walked towards the baggage claim Ralph disappeared helping an older woman with her suitcase. He then paused to lift two toddlers so that they could see Santa Clause. He then stopped to help an older gentleman find directions to the baggage claim. Each time he came back smiling.
The professor asked him where he learned that. Ralph said, “During the war. My job was to clear minefields, and I saw many friends die unexpectedly. I learned to live between steps. I never knew weather the next step would be my last, so I had to get everything I could out of that moment between picking up my foot and putting it down again. Every step felt like a whole new world.”
Life takes on a new dimension when we make every step count to fulfill the purpose for which God created us. What we will be most remembered for is what we did with each moment, each step, and each day that made a difference in somebody else’s life.
President George H. W. Bush died recently. About six years ago a secret service agent assigned to his detail had a 2 year-old son who came down with Leukemia. Through the treatment, the boy lost his hair. Members of the secret service detail shaved their heads to show support for the little 2 year-old boy. Guess what? President H. W. Bush shaved his head as well to show his support!!
Everyone said they had never witnessed such kindness, and it’s something they will never forget. What people remember is not what you say, but what you do (how you make them feel). Actions speak louder than words. President Bush will be remembered for a lot of things, but those guys will never forget this.
Let God help you make this a great day – unless you have different plans!!
