One Day at a Time

Shortly after Jacob was born, friends of ours gave us a copy of this poem.  It's been close to my heart ever since.  The life we life is surely one day at a time, at times moment by moment. 

One Day at a Time

One day at a time, with its failures and fears,
With its hurts and mistakes, with its weakness and tears,
With its portion of pain and its burden of care;
One day at a time we must meet and must bear.

 

One day at a time to be patient and strong,
To be calm under trial and sweet under wrong;
Then its toiling shall pass and its sorrow shall cease;
It shall darken and die, and the night shall bring peace.

 

One day at a time - but the day is so long,
And the heart is not brave, and the soul is not strong,
0 Thou pitiful Christ, be Thou near all the way;
Give courage and patience and strength for the day.

 

Swift cometh His answer, so clear and so sweet;
"Yea, I will be with thee, thy troubles to meet;
I will not forget thee, nor fail thee, nor grieve;
I will not forsake thee; I never will leave."

 

Not yesterday's load we are called on to bear,
Nor the morrow's uncertain and shadowy care;
Why should we look forward or back with dismay?
Our needs, as our mercies, are but for the day.

 

One day at a time, and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours, though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

                          —Annie Johnson Flint