His Mercies Are New -- But What About My To-Do List?

His Mercies Are New -- But What About My To-Do List?
My faith journey goes way back to when I was a little girl. I remember almost every verse of so many of the old hymns that we would sing. Those were the days when we still used a hymnal and we sang those old songs that were birthed out of hardships, losses and illnesses. One of my favorites was “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. There’s a line that continues to describe my life as each new day brings new hope AND new concerns about this and that, and how will this and that turn out? The line that resonates within me as sweet assurance comes for this day and tomorrow is: “Morning by morning new mercies I see . . .”

I was thinking about that line yesterday. I woke up, headed straight to my closet, stepped on and off my scale! “YAY! I’m down a pound. I’ll go to Weight Watchers (my monthly weigh-in that keeps me accountable to healthy living and weight control)!” Most mornings when I wake up, after the bathroom call, I head to my office to post my FB message and blog and then send a text message of love to my children. My post and loving on my children already has me thinking about Christ’s mercies and faithfulness, but very quickly after that, I’m already going through my “To-Do” list.

“I must find someone to repair my sprinkler system. Why is that fingernail healing so slowly? I must go to the grocery store. I must pay my bills. I must get my blog ready for tomorrow. I must google Youtube videos to figure out how to install that water filter. I must get the garage cleaned out. I must get gas today. I must finish editing my daughter’s manuscript for her new book. I must. I must. I must.

Oh, I know my little list cannot be compared to you mamas who are overloaded with "To-Do's" -- car pools, school lunches, laundry, businesses to run, and on and on. I think we can all relate that our mornings don’t involve a list of God’s mercies as much as they involve a list of our own concerns. I’m sure we can all boast about how good we’ve become at checking off our “To-Do” list.

But, then, in a sweet moment, that old hymn rolls around in my head and, instead of obsessing over all the “To Do’s”, I start to hum the tune I’ve known since childhood. And it reminds me of the God who has loved me since long before that.
“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided —
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

That “All I have needed” part is what makes me stop. I come to a complete standstill. Right there in the middle of my kitchen in front of my host of vitamins I NEED to take and I think….. “Do I really believe that? "All I have needed Thy hand hath provided." Do I live like I really believe that?”

His faithfulness is new every morning in a hundred different ways. In the stormy and sunshiny days and in the hectic and calm days. It’s the one thing that doesn’t change. I desperately want to become an expert at believing that…..don’t you?

Great is Your Faithfulness

My “ROCK-solid” foundation came as a result of having parents that loved and served God with all their hearts. Our church seemed to be our second home. We were in there whenever the doors opened – oftentimes five times (or more) a week. I’m a lifelong Sunday School girl, and my memory bank is packed full of children’s songs (with the hand motions that accompanied them), as well as all the verses of many hymns and choruses. There are so many beautiful songs written today and sung by incredible artists, but when I find myself humming or singing a tune, it’s usually one that goes way back. One of my favorites is the old hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.“ written in 1925. The lyrics come from Lamentations 3:22-24 “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness."

Nighttime – seems to present the toughest times when sleep is disturbed by worry, concern and fear. I remember, as a little girl, having a bad dream or one of those awful virus bugs, and the long, long, nights that seemed like they would never end. I remember very long and troubled nights when my young children suffered from an illness or were afraid of something and they’d crawl into bed with us for comfort. I remember the many painful nights that my sweetheart struggled for rest and peace in his body. But, in every nighttime interruption of sleep, I remember the sweet mornings that eventually came, when hope and comfort was restored. Surely, the line of the song that said, “Morning by morning new mercies I see…..” was so true. Those mercies ARE new every morning. Great is God’s faithfulness to us.

Typically we don't wake in the morning thinking about God’s mercies. We’re already in the “to-do-list” mode. Rather than listing God’s mercies, we’re listing our concerns and worries for this new day. In my morning prayer time, I really do endeavor to adore, worship and thank God before I go into my "needs and wants" list. That old hymn rolls around in my head and instead of all those needs, wants and desires, I start to hum the tune I’ve known since childhood. And it reminds me of the God who has loved me since long before that.
“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided –
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

That “All I have needed” part is what makes me stop and be thankful. Do I really believe that “all I have needed His hand has provided? Do I live like I really believe that? The list is so numerous when I start to ponder His faithfulness to me – my 25+ year old washer and dryer that continue to work so faithfully, my strength and good health that I never take for granted, my precious family, my friends, my churches, my 6-year old car, my sound mind, my dishwasher, microwave, stove, refrigerator, fresh water, warmth in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, living in America, for the kindness of others, for the internet and Facebook, for food and clothes. And, so many more things that can be added to God’s faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness is new every morning in hundreds of different ways. In all the ups and downs, disappointments and joys, the good times and the bad....there is this one thing that doesn’t change -- God’s faithfulness.

I so desperately want to become an expert at believing that. Just think, with each new day, God gives us the chance to prove His faithfulness. And throughout history, He’s never once been proven wrong, for His mercies are new every morning, no matter what.

God's Faithfulness is New Every Morning

I often take a meal to Mom's for us to share and "catch up" on what's going on in our little corner of the world. Last week, we had our usual conversation, drew cards from her Bread of Life Promise Box which contains various scriptures, which by the way, she has all memorized. I started reading the one she pulled for me, and she quoted it right along as I read it. She's had that Promise Box for as long as I can remember, and it always seems the promise we draw, are "right on" for "the word" we need for that day.

I looked up at her little corner stand by her kitchen table and took in the sweet photo of her and Dad alongside that beautiful scripture and song, "Great is Thy faithfulness," taken from Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

I think back on the faithfulness of God for this precious couple. Though they went through many storms of life in the natural, physical and spiritual, those words were always those that they held onto. Those words on that plaque held true for her and Dad when the devastating tornado blew through their home and destroyed everything around them, except for the shower stall they were standing in -- the faithfulness of God brought them through it without even a scratch on them.

I always enjoy seeing Facebook's "On This Day" that comes up each day in our timeline (that is, if you've agreed to have it come up). Since I only started using FB in 2009, that's as far back as my "On This Day" goes back. (By the way, if you'd like to see your "On This Day" posts, just go to www.Facebook.com/OnThisDay and yours should pop up. I remember when, in 2009, how much FB annoyed me. It seemed it was just a haven for people complaining or whining about stuff, so I avoided it. But, then, when my sweetheart became so ill with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer, I knew it would take on a whole new meaning for me. It would be my daily journal to show the faithfulness of God during what was the toughest, yet the sweetest time of our live. God's faithfulness took us through it all. I know that because of FB's "On This Day" and I'm reminded how sweetly God carried us through those days.

What is it about those times that seem so crushing and disappointing, yet they become the most victorious and purposeful times of our lives? It's the faithfulness of a loving God Who displays His sufficiency in the midst of our insufficiency, His peace in the midst of our chaos, and His grace in the midst of our being so lost.

God's faithfulness -- strength for today -- hope for tomorrow -- and unwavering love that causes us to sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness". Knowing that, it sure makes the journey so sweet.