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.