Maybe I’m a little odd, but I love Mondays.

Most folks prefer a Friday, which holds great promise for the weekend.  Who doesn’t love a wide-open Saturday with endless possibilities for fun or relaxation, or a Sunday afternoon nap, curled up on the couch with a good football game in the background?  Sure, I love all of these, too, but for me, nothing quite beats a Monday.

I love the idea of a fresh start, a new beginning, a do-over.  For whatever reason, Monday feels like the day of choice to recommit to your Bible reading plan, your exercise regimen, or your dietary goals.  I wake up on Mondays feeling like anything is possible.

And then … sometimes … Mondays are an epic fail.

Recently, after three weeks of recovery from surgery, I felt like I was ready to jump back into life again on Monday.  Yes, doctor’s orders required three more weeks of restrictions, but I was feeling restless to get back to my routine, head back to work, start exercising again to work out all my stiff joints from lying around watching Netflix and lose the pounds gained from a sedentary lifestyle. 

And then I got the flu… and all of my good intentions went out the window.  I called in sick to work, spent the day doing next to nothing, resorted back to Netflix, and ate large bowls of comfort food, ice cream to be exact … twice.  Then, I crawled into bed after shedding some tears and listening to the voice in my head that said I was a failure, that I’d never get my act together, so why even bother trying?

I woke up the next day, opened the blinds to let in the early morning sun, and took inventory of my physical and mental health.  Nose?  Less stuffy.  Head?  Less foggy. Sighing, I began to get ready for work, still carrying the leftover defeat from the day before.  And then the Lord gently whispered into my ear.

“You can start over on a Tuesday.”

I smiled.  He knows me so well.  He knew I was feeling like this week was already a complete wash and I’d have to wait until NEXT Monday to push the reset button.  But, He also reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-24: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’” (emphasis mine)

Here’s what I love about the holy and precious word of God.  It never gets old.  I can read the same verse a thousand times, and then suddenly, one day, it’s like I’m reading it for the first time.  This was one of those days.  When it says we are not “consumed,” it literally means we are not finished, we have not failed, and we are not exhausted.  And when it says the Lord’s tender love for us never fails, it means He is not finished, He will not fail, and He is not exhausted.

You are not completely finished because He is not completely finished.

You have not failed because He has not failed.

You have not exhausted your options because He has not exhausted His options.

And this is why it’s in your best interest to wait for Him.  You don’t know what this day holds, what He might have up His sleeve, what He was up all night plotting and planning on your behalf while you tossed and turned in your bed.  I believe it is God’s desire for us to wake up each day, expectant and hopeful and convinced that it is possible to start over any day of the week.  You might not have the energy for it today, but His energy is boundless.  You might not have a clue how to get started or what to do next, but He is on task every second of the day.  And you might feel like you are fresh out of options other than failure, but He would beg to differ. 

So what is the best day of the week?  It’s the one you are currently living.  It’s full of promise as long as He is the source of everything you need to start fresh.  It’s not just possible; it’s promised.

And who knows?  He might just show up on a Tuesday.