You just don’t know...

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bringforth. – Proverbs 27v1

When I went to bed on the 19^th of June 1973 I had my wholefuture figured out. I had just finished secondary (high) school a few weeksearlier. I had received an appointment to the US Air Force Academy from SenatorJohn Sparkman. I had orders to report to Colorado Springs on 2 July to begin mytraining and education as an Air Force officer. All my dreams were coming true.

When I went to bed on the 20^th of June 1973 things hadchanged. I was lying, literally, flat on my back in a Stryker frame in Huntsville Hospital. Ihad cracked my 6^th vertebrae and shattered the 7^th.Though I had full movement in my legs there were fears that I could lose thatat any moment. In order to turn over in bed they had to strap a thin mattressto my front side and slowly turn me over on a circular metal frame. I had towatch television through a mirrored viewer. I had a traction device drilledinto my skull. It was a scary and fearsome sight. A split second decision todive in a pool had changed my life.

On the 2^nd of July, instead of reporting to Colorado Springs,I was laying an operating theatre having re-constructive surgery on myvertebrae.

Praise God that I came through all that and He put things in place forme to serve Him. It does however show how quickly things can change.

‘Don’t brag about tomorrow. You haven’t a clue what tomorrow mightbring.’

Though that 20 June 1973 was quite dramatic to me and sticks out in my mind, we have had many more of those 20 Junes since then. We never have any idea what might happen tomorrow when we go to bed at night.

Who would have thought when they world went to bed on 10 September 2001 how the world would change before bed the next night?

We need to beware of talking about all that we are going to do andaccomplish in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. Jesus repeated this lesson. The problems and issues of today are sufficient in themselves.

God is in control. It may not be in our words, but in our attitude there needs to a D.V. (Deo Volente – God willing) in our attitudes about what we are going to do next because we certainly don’t know what is around the corner.