I was twelve when my grandmother lay dying in a hospital bed in Kansas City. I missed having her hug me in the old way, all soft curves and comfort and love, without all the wires and knobs and buttons now attached. She seemed smaller somehow in the bed, and yet her faith still seemed large.
Every day, she’d ask to sing “This is the day.”
This is the day
This is the day
That the Lord has made,
That the Lord has made.
I will rejoice,
I will rejoice,
And be glad in it..
It was 17 years later that I sat in another hospital room.
This time it was my daddy lying in the hospital bed. I missed having him hug me in the old way, his hands warm and sure and gentle. And I missed his presence, how he always seemed to know what to do, even in the hard moments.
So I did what I had watched him do, in that other hospital room so long ago. A different city, a different state but the same barren room, the same longing inside me.
With a cup of less than mediocre black coffee in hand, and one of my dad’s “brunette daughters” beside me, we sang it.
This is the day
This is the day
That the Lord has made,
That the Lord has made.
I will rejoice,
I will rejoice,
And be glad in it..
That was a hard day. But it was also good. And singing together, reminding ourselves of God and his goodness helped us.
Some days are golden, full of beauty and light. Some days are a blur, time passing too quickly. And some days are agony.
The Lord made each one, and he knows what they will hold for us. He meets us there.
It is sometimes hard to find the good in those days, yet there are always two unchangeable truths we can cling to, no matter the day.
- God is always good.
- And I am always loved.
And those will make all the difference.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-24
Photo by Ante Samarzija on Unsplash
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