The Day After (and why it’s even better than the day of)

Today isn’t the big day It’s just an ordinary Wednesday. We’ve got Vacation Bible School tonight. I need to give the dog a bath. And there are errands to be run. I’ll spend my morning doing laundry and running the vacuum. I’ll spend my afternoon in the car, driving then stopping multiple times to complete all the tasks on my list.  I’ll probably forget to eat lunch before I leave the house and will therefore be unable to resist the siren call of the hot sign at Krispy Kreme around 3:30 pm.

It will be a very normal day.  The day after the big day.

The day after a big day is an opportunity to reflect and cherish the sweetness of our experiences. Don't rush through!

The Day After (and why it’s even better than the day of)

Yesterday was the culmination of a dream I’ve had nestled in my heart for 35 years. Yesterday my first book released from Bethany House Publishers. Yesterday I signed a copy of that book in our local LifeWay. Yesterday I tweeted and Facebooked and Instagrammed.  Yesterday my friends called and texted their congratulations and prayers.  Yesterday my family celebrated with me. And yesterday, I felt ALL the emotions. 

I’m a pretty emotional girl. So when I say I felt ALL the emotions, I basically mean from anxious to zapped I had them all.

Last night I slept for eight hours.

Eight hours. It was amazing. I haven’t been sleeping well the past few weeks.

(For those of you still under 40, let me just say nighttime won’t always be as good a friend as it now. Between waking for yet another trip to the potty, waking in a panic from a horrific reflux attack, waking in humiliation because the horrible snoring is coming from you and not your husband, and just waking for no apparent reason and then trying to fall back asleep for the next four hours before you give up and get up to do something productive but then realize you can’t because everyone else is sound asleep …. well, let’s just say, treasure your sleep, o younger friends.)

But anyway, last night I slept eight hours. This morning I got up, poured my coffee, read my favorite blogs, checked out the news, and hugged my girl as she headed off to work.

And it’s all got me thinking — the day after is a pretty special thing.

In fact, it may even be better than the big day itself.

It doesn’t matter what your big day is.  Because when I think back to all the biggest days of  my life, I’m pretty sure the next day was even sweeter.  The day after our wedding … the day after Casiday was born … the day after we moved …

There’s something sweet and gentle about the day after a big day.

The pressure is gone. (at least the immediate pressure)

The emotions are more tempered.

I think Mary, Jesus’ mother, offers us such a beautiful picture of what it is to treasure the big days and savor them in the days that follow.

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19 ESV

We need to make space for treasuring those big moments. To look at them and see the hand of God at work.

Big days are awesome! I firmly believe in wringing every last bit of experience and emotion from them.

But the day after, when you can look back and smile at your own histrionics (or maybe that’s just me?!), when you can see the result of all your hard work, that is a gift.

Today, I’m sitting here in my living room and reflecting on all yesterday was.

But I’m also thinking, “I survived!”

To be sure, there is still much to do now that my book is in the world. But there was (and is) much to do the day after our wedding to make sure we built a marriage. And there was (and is) much to do after our girl was born to raise her in a way that honors the Lord.

Today, I’m thankful.

For the big day I had yesterday. For the friends and family who celebrated with me. For all the kind words and the generous efforts given to spread the word about Praying for Girls.

But today I’m also thankful for the small days ahead of me. Because they too are a gift. And I don’t want to miss out on the sweetness of what they offer.

xoxo,

Teri Lynne

P.S. Truly, from my heart, thank you to all of you who have been so gracious and generous in helping me release Praying for Girls.  It’s been a HUGE group effort and I’m surrounded by the most incredible people.  If you have the book, please take a photo and tag me on social media (@terilynneu) and use the hashtag #prayingforgirls.  If you’ve read the book, it would mean the world to me (and my publisher!) if you’d leave a review on Amazon, LifeWay, Barnes & Noble, or ChristianBook.com. Those reviews really do matter. And, if you haven’t yet purchased the book but you meant to and just forgot (don’t feel bad — that is EXACTLY what happens to me!), you can get all the details here to purchase online or you can check and see if it’s out in your local LifeWay or Barnes & Noble.

Praying for Girls: Asking God for the Things They Need Most is now available online and at LifeWay and Barnes & Noble!

 

Read the Psalms this summer with Scripture Dig!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge