One Day at a Time

I had a sweet experience during my organ practice time today. Several years ago I was struggling in my life. I didn’t know how to deal with different things that were going on and what to do about any of them. I didn’t know what was going to happen tomorrow or next week or next month........and I was in turmoil with the confusion and the uncertainty. One Sunday I was sitting up on the stand over to the side because I was going to accompany the choir in a number later in the meeting. I became particularly aware of the prelude music when the organist began to play one of my favorite hymns, Lead Kindly Light. I opened a hymn book to follow along as he played. As I read through the first verse I felt, first of all, like I had never read, heard or sung the words before.......and secondly that my Savior was speaking to me personally through them:

Lead kindly Light amid encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on.
The night is dark and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see
The distant scene.........one step enough for me.

The message was as clear as if the words had scrolled by right in front of me on a lighted, moving marquee.......JUST DO ONE DAY AT A TIME, JUST TODAY.....LET ME TAKE CARE OF TOMORROW. I was filled with wonder and relief.....and gratefulness. I truly realized at that moment that my Father and my Savior knew me and my troubles........and They cared. "One Day at a Time" has been a main theme in my life since then........and I have been greatly rewarded by living it.

A couple of years ago in my scripture studies I came across a scripture that says basically the same thing and reinforced that theme for me. It’s found in both Matthew 6:34 and in 3rd Nephi 13:34:
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof." In other words.......today has enough problems of its own without worrying about tomorrow, too. ;-)

Anyway, back to organ practice. When I first became ward organist back in the summer I couldn’t play Lead Kindly Light. I WANTED to play it because it’s so beloved to me. I vowed to learn it "line upon line" so some time in the future I could play it in sacrament meetings. Well, I really haven’t put any time in on learning it because it’s all I can do to prepare the hymns I have to play each Sunday........I haven’t even tried playing it since last summer. After practicing my hymns for tomorrow I felt comfortably prepared so I decided to do some sight reading as sort of an evaluation of any progress in my skills. As I was turning through hymns I stopped at Lead Kindly Light and wondered if I would be able to play it any better than that first time several months ago. To my joy and delight.........I played it without much struggle. I rejoiced and gave thanks. Memories of that Sunday morning revelation came back to me and I was filled once again with wonder........and reminded to just do today........and do it the best I can. ;-)