Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

A Cup of Tea with Carol
Written By Carol McLeod

Yesterday … today … tomorrow.

Just three words that dictate our very existence.

Yesterday … today … tomorrow.

Each word defines an individual period of time that holds the consummate power to determine the course of each one of our lives.

Yesterday … today … tomorrow.

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How often have I allowed a difficult yesterday to cross the boundary of my life into today?  How often have I invited the unknown of tomorrow into the joy of today via the transit system known as “worry”?

I was with my two-year old grandson, Jack, this week and he has an interesting concept of time.  Anything that happened before this very minute happened yesterday.

“I went to the park yesterday!” (That was only this morning, Jack, but yes, you went to the park.)

“I took my nap yesterday.” (You did take a nap yesterday, Jack, but that doesn’t get you out of taking one today.)

“I had ice cream yesterday.” (You had ice cream three days ago, Jack, but yes, you did have ice cream.)

“I came to your house yesterday, Marmee.” (You came to my house three months ago, Jack, but yes, you did indeed come to Marmee’s house!)

Conversely, in the Gospel According to Jack, everything that happens after this very minute will happen tomorrow.

(Have I told you how brilliant and how adorable he is?!)

“I get a lollipop tomorrow?” (We’ll see, Jack. You just finished your lollipop from today and you don’t get to have one every day.”)

“I see Pa tomorrow.” (Pa didn’t come with me on this trip, Jack, but you will see him at Christmastime.)

“I ride the train tomorrow.” (I’m sure you will ride the train tomorrow, Jack, because you live in New York City and you ride the train almost every day of your life.”

“I go to your house tomorrow, Marmee.” (Oh Jack! I want you to come to my house every tomorrow of your little life!)

A child understands.  A child “gets it” that yesterday is gone and that tomorrow is yet to be.  Perhaps we could all learn a new concept of time from that “Gospel According to Jack”.

Let me just remind you not to ruin a good today by thinking about a bad yesterday.  And please don’t ruin a perfectly good today by worrying about an unknown tomorrow.

Leave the past in the past … trust all of your tomorrows to God’s care … and determine to celebrate the gift of today!

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You can’t change yesterday so focus on today.  Live … love … laugh … embrace … enjoy … and celebrate today! Enjoy the life you have been given today because yesterday is gone and tomorrow is never promised.

The great philosopher, Winnie the Pooh, is given credit for this auspicious bit of advice concerning time, “Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery.  But today is a gift.  That’s why we call it the present.”

I agree with Winnie the Pooh. Today is a gift of heavenly proportions.  Today was meant, by its Giver, for our enjoyment, for our betterment and for our use of it for grander purposes than we could ever imagine.

Today was never meant to be wasted but was always meant to be resplendent!

Today was never meant to be twisted by the pain of the past nor was it meant to be warped by the anxiety of tomorrow.

Today was always meant to be savored … one delicious minute at a time!

Today is the day! Today is your day for dreams to come true … for relationships to be mended … for books to be read … for songs to be sung … for prayers to be prayed … for trips to be planned … and for friendships to begin.

Today is your day!

Don’t allow the regrets of yesterday to become landmines in the glory of today. Live each day in the present tense … with purpose, power and passion.

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” – Psalm 16:6

But even while you are living in today, remind yourself often that life always offers you a second chance.  It’s called tomorrow.

Spending today complaining about yesterday won’t make tomorrow any better.  The thoughts that you think today to a large extent dictate the joy of tomorrow.  If you think angry and critical thoughts today, chances are that your tomorrow will be filled with anger and criticism.

“For as a man thinks within himself, so is he.” – Proverbs 23:7

If you fill your gray matter with exciting possibilities concerning tomorrow – it becomes a divine probability that your tomorrow will be the launching pad for the future of your dreams!

Not only do the thoughts that you think today determine the quality of all of your tomorrows, but also the words that you speak today have the power to frame your future.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” – Proverbs 18:21

If you bless someone today with encouragement, with hopeful words and with terms of endearment, I can guarantee you that the blessing will come back to you tomorrow!

If you invest in tomorrow with words of grand expectation and with cheerful reassurance, the future that you are carving for yourself and for the world around you will be filled with restored hope and with unending potential.

“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” – Proverbs 25:11

You can’t change yesterday but you can enjoy today and you can determine your tomorrow!  All of your yesterdays are gone … they are past tense.  All of your tomorrows are future possibilities filled with the goodness of God.

Today is your day! Go mining for gold in the caverns of today! Refuse to allow the pain of the past or the worry of tomorrow to rob you of the joy that was given to you as the treasure of your today.

And, if in your travels, you come across a little blonde-haired, brown-eyed two-year -old named Jack, tell him, that his Marmee can’t wait to see him tomorrow!

Thanks for listening to my heart this week.  As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me.  And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!

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Carol McLeod
Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!
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