Today is the Best Day of My Life – One Day Closer to Heaven

The Absurdity of the "Perfect Day"

The knees creaked and the joints were a-poppin' when I got out of bed this morning. This has become a familiar song as the birthday candles on my cake begin to accumulate. My first sounds weren’t exactly “Hallelujah! I’m alive!” I sounded more like a sinister villain in my bunny pajamas mumbling, “Where’s my coffee?” Nonetheless, I am alive to tell you that this day, with all its potential for creaks, groans, and caffeine dependence, is the absolute best day of my life.

We live in a culture obsessed with milestone days: weddings, promotions, graduations, and anniversaries. From a Christian perspective, each of these occasions, along with other important days, can be filled with a range of stressful emotions. Allow me to offer a radical, joy-filled alternative: today, this very ordinary day, is the best one yet. Why? Because it's a gift, and it brings us one step closer to our eternal home.

Let me take this opportunity to offer a humorous look at how we, as 21st-century Christians, usually rate our days. And then let's unpack the two big secrets why today wins the prize: the gift of the present moment and the promise of our future home.

Let's be honest. At some point during each of the days we have lived, we mentally rate the one we are currently living. We seem to have a scale for everything. Let's make it temporarily official, just for a moment, just for fun. Here is a list of “typical” days and their ratings from 1 to 10. I hereby propose the official (and unofficial) “Day-Rating Scale.”

·         The day the air conditioning unit goes belly up in Florida (Rating: 1/10): This day isn't just unseasonably warm; it's biblically hot. It's a “weeping and gnashing of teeth” kind of day where your only prayer is for a cold front moving down from Minnesota or the Rapture, whichever comes first.

·         Behold the average Monday (Rating: 3/10): The world groans in unison. It's the case of the disappearing weekend; the day after the day of rest, which feels like a design flaw. It gets a “3” only because it eventually comes to an end.

·         Hooray! It’s Tax Day! Just kidding (Rating: A solid 2/10): This is the day we render unto Caesar… and then spend the rest of the day wondering if Caesar really needs that much.

·         Your Wedding Day (Rating: 9/10): A beautiful, glorious day! Also, one of the most stressful days known to man. You get a spouse, but you also get seating charts and a weird cousin doing a dance he invented on the spot. So, a "9", not a perfect "10".

·         The Birth of a Grandchild (Rating: 10/10): Here we get to experience pure, uncut joy. All the fun of a baby with none of the 2 AM feedings. This is God's reward for surviving the challenge of raising your own kids.

·         The Day You Retire (Rating: 8/10): Wonderful! No more alarm clocks! But then comes the 'Now what?' phase. It gets an “8” because the adventure is just beginning, but it comes with a slight learning curve. There’s also the nagging feeling I’ve outlived my purpose in life. Is that all there is?

That's just a sample of the many days we've drawn breath. Let me point out that even our "10 out of 10" days are fleeting, and that our "1 out of 10" days are also just temporary. This rating system is flawed because it's based on circumstances, not truths.

A couple of paragraphs ago, I promised you two big secrets. Here's the first one: Today is a gift; that's why it's called the present. The real reason today is the best is because it is a direct, unearned gift from God. If today came with a card, it would be signed:

Enjoy! Your Father, the Creator of the Universe.

Each new day is the gift of a new beginning. And it appears every single dawn as we open our eyes and draw that first breath. We receive mercy in the morning. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Yesterday's failures? Forgiven. Yesterday's worries? In the past. Today is a clean slate, a fresh outpouring of grace that makes the coffee taste better and the orange juice sweeter when you realize it's part of a mercy you didn't earn.

We are awake with a presence and a purpose. Today is the only day we have to live, to act, and to love. It's our arena of reason. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

As a Christian writer, former professional musician, and proud Air Force veteran, I can speak to this. Today is a day to write a word of encouragement, to hum a tune of praise, to love my wife, and to reflect on a life of service. It's not about grand gestures, but faithful presence in the small things. God has a purpose for me this very day. “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34

Here's the second secret: it's one day closer you are to heaven. This is the core of the title. For the believer, the passage of time is not a loss; it's a gain. Every sunrise doesn't just mark a new day; it marks one less day we have to wait to be home with the Lord. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Philippians 1:21. This isn't a morbid thought; it's a triumphant one! It re-frames everything. A bad day is just time spent on a bumpy patch of road on the way to a glorious destination.

Speaking of time, I'd like to acknowledge the physical reality of aging with honesty and hope. Our bodies might not feel the mileage, but I’m painfully aware of the difference between city miles and highway miles. Nevertheless, my spirit is getting closer to the finish line. Listen up, folks, and take heart. We still might be physically deteriorating, but our spirits can continue to flourish. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Here's the bottom line, friends. My knees might creak and my joints might pop, but my soul is still singing. The eyesight might be fading, but the vision of heaven is getting clearer. There is a connection between the physical truth of approaching my 80th birthday and the spiritual reality of faith.

I think it’s about time to assign a rating. So… what's the number for today? After all this, I'm throwing the 1-to-10 scale out the window. It’s not up to the task. Today didn’t get a number. It receives a superlative. By reading this, I hope you can set aside any pre-determined rating system, friends, and see that a day's value isn't found in its circumstances but in its divine context. Simply stated, today is a gift of mercy and another step on the path home.

I can proudly announce that “Today is the best of my life” because God gave it to me, and His grace is sufficient for it. It also brought me one step closer to seeing Jesus face-to-face. And you can’t put a number on that.