Kind of Exciting

Last week we had a little bit of rain and on Wednesday night, we had a little bit of excitement! It was the middle of the night, and my wife and I were totally sound asleep. I remember it seemed like somebody was shining a bright light into our bedroom window when, a few seconds later, there was a huge booming clap of thunder that shook our tiny beach house like it was made of cardboard. My wife and I shot straight up in bed at exactly the same time, our eyes wide open, our hearts pumping full steam. You could almost see the adrenalin coursing through our veins. And of course, I said something stupid, like “Must be a thunder storm”, at which point we both smiled because, you know… it was kind of exciting!

When I woke up the next morning, I thought about that super loud thunder. While it was scary, it was also definitely exciting, which got me thinking about excitement in general and the exciting “Challenge of Threes” I gave myself for the month of January. One of those challenges is to connect with God three times a day, so I’ve been starting every morning with a quick prayer of thanks that I actually woke up. Hey, if you stop to think about it, waking up is way better than the alternative. So therefore, it’s definitely something to be thankful for… and excited about!

I’ve started to notice that truly being thankful for each and every new day on this earth is making me excited about what each new day will bring. And excitement comes in many forms! Fifty years ago, I raced a Triumph motorcycle at over 100 miles per hour on a dirt race track in Vallejo, California. Forty years ago, I started my first business with limited experience and an even more limited education. Thirty years ago, I helped install a cross on a mountaintop with no roads. Twenty years ago, I fell in love and married the most beautiful woman on earth. Ten years ago, I started writing Monday Messages and have never stopped. Five years ago, at almost 60 years old, I helped my baseball team win a world championship in Phoenix. Five years from now…?

I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know this. I am excited to be alive, I am excited to connect with my Creator, and I am determined to be excited and appreciative of every single new day… even if it rains!

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, 

but I do know who holds my tomorrow.

~ Anonymous