Just for Today by Jaye Lewis
Just for Today by Jaye Lewis
Hello friends,
There are times, in our lives that we can feel everything we have worked for slipping from our grasp: perhaps a career, or a marriage, or relationships with our family and friends. No matter our financial situation, we have seen our dreams crumble, in a day. We may ask: God, why have You forgotten me? These are uncertain times. We have been told that we are in a world-wide recession (thanks for stating the obvious), and no one knows where or when it will end.
In our region, we are seeing families lose their homes, some of which have been in the same family for more than 200 years. It makes my heart ache every time I see a new House for Sale sign. Why? Why is this happening? We’ve been given the fill-in-the-blanks excuses, but we are not amazed. Like a house of cards, tumbling down, we are experiencing the falling apart of pieces of our lives.
Many times in our family, we have been at the brink of poverty so deep, we thought we would never climb out. Due to events beyond our control, everything we thought we had came to nothing. Our lives were in turmoil, and we couldn’t see the end of it. During this time, I began to compile a poem, a prayer, an understanding, that taught me that each day can be lived with greater meaning, if I lived my life just for each day. The following poem is a part of my soul which I hope will be an encouragement to you.
Just for Today
Lord, just for today
I will not fight You,
Nor anticipate Your desires for me.
Just for today,
I will be happy
Doing Your will, instead of my own.
Just for today,
I will laugh more, and complain less.
Just for today,
I will not only count,
But see my blessings.
I will remember that home is heart,
And not hearth.
Just for today,
I will not belittle myself;
Goodness knows, there are plenty of others
To do that for me.
Just for today,
I will remember that I am a child of God,
And that in belittling myself,
I belittle the One who made me.
Just for today,
I will remember that You are, not only, with me,
But that You are holding me close.
Just for today,
I will feel special to myself;
And I will love me, even as You have loved me.
Just for today,
The only person I will rescue is myself.
I will not try to save the world, just for today.
Just for today,
I will feel peace;
Knowing that there is Someone greater than I
To deal with my problems.
Just for today,
I will allow You to be God.
I will be Your reflection.
I will not try to create You, in my image.
Just for today,
I will cease to block Your love,
And I will allow the passion within me,
To embrace the lover of my soul.
Just for today,
I will remember the little child within me.
Just for today,
I will take that child out to play.
Just for today,
I will have hope in You,
And in my ability to do Your will.
Just for today,
I will let You be in control.
I will let You know more than I.
I will let You be in charge of my troubles.
Just for today,
I won't have any.
Just for today,
I will not hate.
Just for today,
I will forgive the one who hurt me.
Just for today,
I will ask God to forgive me.
Just for today,
I will let Him.
Father in heaven, help us to live each day as though it is the only day we have. Help us to focus on one thing, one day, one love. Help us to deal with what we can, and grant us the grace to let go of what we can’t. Help us to see in every sorrow, the ludicrous in our situation. Grant us laughter, and when we love may we love passionately. Help us to live each moment with honor and truth. And most of all, Heavenly Father, grant each of us a closer walk with You. © Jaye Lewis, 2000
Hello friends,
There are times, in our lives that we can feel everything we have worked for slipping from our grasp: perhaps a career, or a marriage, or relationships with our family and friends. No matter our financial situation, we have seen our dreams crumble, in a day. We may ask: God, why have You forgotten me? These are uncertain times. We have been told that we are in a world-wide recession (thanks for stating the obvious), and no one knows where or when it will end.
In our region, we are seeing families lose their homes, some of which have been in the same family for more than 200 years. It makes my heart ache every time I see a new House for Sale sign. Why? Why is this happening? We’ve been given the fill-in-the-blanks excuses, but we are not amazed. Like a house of cards, tumbling down, we are experiencing the falling apart of pieces of our lives.
Many times in our family, we have been at the brink of poverty so deep, we thought we would never climb out. Due to events beyond our control, everything we thought we had came to nothing. Our lives were in turmoil, and we couldn’t see the end of it. During this time, I began to compile a poem, a prayer, an understanding, that taught me that each day can be lived with greater meaning, if I lived my life just for each day. The following poem is a part of my soul which I hope will be an encouragement to you.
Just for Today
Lord, just for today
I will not fight You,
Nor anticipate Your desires for me.
Just for today,
I will be happy
Doing Your will, instead of my own.
Just for today,
I will laugh more, and complain less.
Just for today,
I will not only count,
But see my blessings.
I will remember that home is heart,
And not hearth.
Just for today,
I will not belittle myself;
Goodness knows, there are plenty of others
To do that for me.
Just for today,
I will remember that I am a child of God,
And that in belittling myself,
I belittle the One who made me.
Just for today,
I will remember that You are, not only, with me,
But that You are holding me close.
Just for today,
I will feel special to myself;
And I will love me, even as You have loved me.
Just for today,
The only person I will rescue is myself.
I will not try to save the world, just for today.
Just for today,
I will feel peace;
Knowing that there is Someone greater than I
To deal with my problems.
Just for today,
I will allow You to be God.
I will be Your reflection.
I will not try to create You, in my image.
Just for today,
I will cease to block Your love,
And I will allow the passion within me,
To embrace the lover of my soul.
Just for today,
I will remember the little child within me.
Just for today,
I will take that child out to play.
Just for today,
I will have hope in You,
And in my ability to do Your will.
Just for today,
I will let You be in control.
I will let You know more than I.
I will let You be in charge of my troubles.
Just for today,
I won't have any.
Just for today,
I will not hate.
Just for today,
I will forgive the one who hurt me.
Just for today,
I will ask God to forgive me.
Just for today,
I will let Him.
Father in heaven, help us to live each day as though it is the only day we have. Help us to focus on one thing, one day, one love. Help us to deal with what we can, and grant us the grace to let go of what we can’t. Help us to see in every sorrow, the ludicrous in our situation. Grant us laughter, and when we love may we love passionately. Help us to live each moment with honor and truth. And most of all, Heavenly Father, grant each of us a closer walk with You. © Jaye Lewis, 2000
