Monday was such a great day that I was hyper in the evening, which is not normal. I went to Target at 8:00, you guys. For fun.

I feel weird going out so late, I said to my son.

He assured me many people go out at 8:00 at night, and it’s no big thing.

Because of my awesome Monday, I had a great idea for a blog post. The topic: What makes a day good?

Then Tuesday night I tried a new recipe and promptly cried after one bite. My husband valiantly took a few bites and offered to keep eating, because that is what men do when they are desperate not to see their wives cry.

But it was bad, so I put on boots and headed out the door to Wendy’s.

(And all this after I spent the entire weekend prepping food for the month, so that I would be awesome and there would be no burger wrappers in our garbage for four weeks.)

Absentmindedly, I took a left towards the school instead of toward Wendy’s, because that’s usually where I’m headed in my little red car.

Half a mile away I realized I was going the wrong way, so I turned around in time to see two deer cross in front of me. Well, I’m from the north, so I’m not stupid. (Shhh, to you.) I waited a minute to make sure no little deer brothers or sisters were going to follow after. All was clear, so I started out again only to have a deer jump in front of my car!

I did not hit the deer, but barely not.

Dumb casserole. Dumb deer.

Back on track, I drove toward Wendy’s, and that blog idea came back. What makes a day good? Haha. (My son says that only two haha’s means you didn’t actually laugh out loud.) 

I want every day to be a good day, not just one random Monday.

But I know that means I have to stop rating the day based on pleasant or unpleasant circumstances.

I need a fixed, unchanging good.

Which is the Lord.

In your presence is fullness of joy.

In your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16:11

Joy and pleasure –everything we want in a day, and they are promised to us for eternity.

Of course, I still have a nasty casserole sitting abandoned on the stove top. (If you love me, you won’t say a word about it when you see me.) But my eternal joy and pleasure are not in that pan.

A guaranteed good is found in a place -in the presence of the Lord. In his right hand.

Now for the end of my story. That preacher man of mine had been at a two-day planning retreat with the other pastors, and he came home just before the casserole came out of the oven. As I was in despair over dinner and deer, telling him it was a bad day, he said, What about me? I’m home. I’m good.

Can you picture Jesus saying that to you, as you mourn your bad day?

What about me? I’m here. I’m good.