"Just For Today" Kathryn Kuhlman "One Day At A Time"

Hear the cry in that falling pier just now. Hear the cry in that sigh. Perhaps not an audible word is spoken, but there's heartache, there's sorrow. Wonderful Heavenly Father, give to us the simple faith Children know the faith to look for miracles upon this earth below. Give us the faith to recognize the goodness in each heart. Give us the faith to build again when all of our hopes and our dreams are all torn apart. Give us, Father God, the simple faith that little children find, the faith to hope, the faith to see that clouds are silver -lined. Please, upon the darkest day and in the darkest hour, give us faith to build again. Hear this simple prayer for... Jesus' sake we ask it. Amen. We've been having some good heart -to -heart talks lately. Just some good practical thinking. Just some good down -to -earth analyzing. You know, it's something I like preaching now. Oh, when I was young and inexperienced, I remember some of those days when I first started out in the ministry in Idaho. Oh, at least once a week, I would preach a sermon on heaven. Oh, my word, nobody ever loved to preach on heaven. No preacher living ever got such a thrill out of preaching on heaven like I did. In the first place, my imagination just carried me away. I tell you, I walked those streets of gold so many times when I was 14 and 15 and 16 years of age. I could have told you just exactly what my mansion was going to look like. Until by the time I got to be 17, I felt like I had already lived in it. Just like that. But remember, I was young and inexperienced. Then came the hard times and a lot of living and a lot of experience. And I will have to admit, I haven't preached a sermon on heaven for so long that I couldn't really tell you the last time I did preach a sermon on heaven because... With the experience that I'd gained, I found out that there's an awful lot of living that has to be done right here on this earth before we ever walk those streets of gold and live in those mansions. And I also had decided there are a lot of folks who are talking about heaven and preaching about heaven who aren't even going to heaven. So I'm not preaching about heaven. I'm working overtime to try to get people. to live such lives and get themselves prepared for heaven and heaven will take care of itself. It's just like that. And that's why these little heart -to -heart talks that we're having, maybe they are hurting somebody's feelings and you may feel I'm a little too hard in some of the things that I say. And you've gotten hit right between the eyes more than once recently. But if you did, it's because it's just the thing that you need. You see, the Christian way is the natural way, the normal way of living. And all I'm trying to do is to teach you how to live the normal way. the way that Jesus intended that men and women should live their lives here on earth. Most of us are living abnormal lives. I know there are those who get the idea that the Christian life is the abnormal life. It isn't. If you are not a Christian, if you are not living according to God's principles, and plans, then you are the person who is abnormal. And you are living an abnormal life. That's the reason you get yourself in such a mess. And you blame it on God, blame it on everybody else. But if you analyze the thing, you are to blame for the mess that you have gotten yourself into by being abnormal in your living. And it's just like that. Well, sir, now let's get down to business. In our recent Heart to Heart talks, we have named several things that must be done to make a perfect day. Just for today. And remember, this thing of living is just one day at a time. God never did ordain that we should go to fortune tellers to try to find out what's going to happen tomorrow or next week or next year. Oh, no, ma 'am. God was definitely against it. You are breaking all of God's rules. Seeking to know your future. That's the reason you worry. I'm not worried about what happened yesterday. Neither am I actually worried about what is happening this hour. When I analyze my worries, they stem from trying to look into tomorrow or the tomorrow after that or six months from now. Analyze your own worries and your own fears. God's rules for living are one day at a time. As thy day, so shall thy strength be. He did not promise you strength six months in advance. He did not promise you strength one week. in advance. He did not promise to supply you with strength for three days in advance. As thy day, so shall thy strength be. He's promised only strength to you one day at a time. And it's just like that. A daily rate. The Bible says, one day at a time. He will not give you anything in advance. Nothing. We've gotten so, you know, today that we want everything in advance. We want our pay in advance. We want security in advance. Everything. We want everything promised us and in our hands way in advance. Beloved, that's absolutely contrary to God's plan for living. Just for today, I will try to live through this day only. and not tackle my whole life problem at once. For I can do some things for 12 hours that would appall me if I felt I had to keep them up for a lifetime. That's true. Just for today, I will be happy. Don't think about being happy tomorrow. Don't think about being happy next week. Forget it. But wake up in the morning. And when you awaken, and I'm the funniest creature, I'll have to admit to you that my first thoughts when I awaken in the morning are these. I wonder what's going to happen today. Every day with me is an adventure. And you know, most folk get exactly what they look for. I look for adventure and God knows I get it. Sometimes I get more adventure than I know what to do with. I can't handle it all. But you see, it makes a wonderful day. There's never a dull moment with me. Some people, you know, live such dull lives, such uneventful lives. Sometimes I get more in one day than I know what to do with. And sometimes I hardly know how to handle it. But I've asked for it. Because when I awake in the morning, my first thoughts, I wonder what's going to happen today. And something always does. Sure. I've come to the conclusion most folk are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. If you wake up in the morning, And you say, just exactly what I thought. It's raining. You sit down at the breakfast table. I knew it. This coffee is the vilest coffee. You know something? I think that I make the best coffee for breakfast of anybody in the whole world. And confidentially, that's all I can do is to make coffee. But when somebody eats breakfast with me, if they don't say anything about the coffee, I say, isn't this good coffee? And of course, to be polite, they have to say yes. And honestly, I cannot tell you whether that coffee is good or not. I don't know whether I make good coffee or not. But to me... That coffee that I make for breakfast is wonderful. I've never had coffee in any restaurant. I've never had coffee in any hotel dining room that can surpass the coffee that I make for breakfast. And really, I don't think it is that good. But I try to wake up and start my day so optimistic. First, that feeling of adventure. I wonder what's going to happen today. Then I make my coffee. By that time, you see, my mental attitude is so that, oh, that coffee tastes good. That toast that I have with my coffee. Of everything that I eat in the day. There can be the finest dinner at night. Yet, nothing is quite as satisfying as that piece of toast and that coffee and those first moments of every day because I've learned that if I start my day out right, the rest of the day turns out all right too. But if I start my day Stay depressed. If I start my day with a mental attitude this again, I wonder what's going to happen today. Oh, and I don't always feel as peppy as I sound, but I'll tell you. If I start out with the right mental attitude, my pep comes up right with it. That's right. Just for today, I'll be happy. Happiness is something that comes from within. It's not a matter of externals. That's how we get the whole thing wrong. We've gotten the cart before the horse. We expect. to receive happiness from things that are external. That new house will never make you happy. If you are unhappy when you awaken in the morning in that little apartment, that little two -room apartment that you have, if you are unhappy when you awaken in the morning living in that little two -room apartment, you're going to be just as unhappy. When you awaken in the morning, living in a 12 -room house, you can have the yard and all that goes with it. Because happiness comes from within and not from the external. Know that. Women, you know, feel like clothes can make such a difference. Listen. If you aren't happy in that little dingham dress, I'll promise you something. You're not going to be happier in a Christian Dior because clothes cannot bring you real happiness. Somebody says, well, it's my husband. If I could just get rid of... this one and exchange them for another. It's my husband who brings all this unhappiness on me. No, honey. If you wake up in the morning and you're unhappy, if you had five husbands to follow this one, It wouldn't change this matter of happiness one bit because real honest -to -goodness happiness has got to come within you. You will always be as happy as you have made up your mind to be. If you're happier with the second one, it's because you've made up your mind to be happier with him. And it's like that. Don't turn me off. Don't you dare now. Know somebody says I don't like what you're saying, but I wouldn't turn you off for anything because I want to hear what you're going to say next. This is what we call in Missouri just good old -fashioned cornbread. And we need it. Just for today. Don't think about tomorrow or a week. or six months, just for today, I will adjust myself to what is and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, myself, my home, those with whom I come in contact with, as they come, I will sit... myself to them. An awful lot of unhappiness is brought about when we try to make people over. When we try to adjust other folk to ourselves. To what we want them to be. Many a woman is trying to adjust her husband to herself. She's trying to adjust her children to herself. Don't try to adjust other people to your own desires. They have their own personality. You fit yourself to them, and you will be happy today.