Week of May 21, 2001
Nancy E.

"Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of thy law."
Psalm 119:18

Many years ago, the mother of my friend died while vacationing in Europe. As so many daughters have to do, my friend needed to travel to her home state to make arrangements for the funeral, burial, and closing of her mother's home. In doing this, Peggy told me that she was quite moved to find a message written on a card tucked in her mother's medicine chest .... a message her mother would have seen first thing each morning.

Peggy gave me a copy of that message and I have kept in my medicine cabinet every since. Each morning as I begin the day, I open my eyes to it. I share it with you now. Should it reach out to you the way it did to me, I invite you to put a copy in your medicine chest as the way to open your eyes each morning.

"This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good, but what I do with today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. I want it to be gain not loss, good not evil, success not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid."

Lord, may our eyes always be open to the gifts you have given us .... especially a new day and the freedom to choose how to use it. Guide us so that, at the end of each day, we know what we gave was worth the price. Amen.

Contributed by Nancy E.
Published Monday May 21, 2001
Week 26 of Liturgical Year C