Make My Day

Written by the Rev. Dale Minor - Reclaim Ministry - Rutland, OH

​Movie buffs will almost immediately recognize the title phrase as coming from Clint Eastwood in his role as “Dirty Harry” in the movie, “Sudden Impact.” In the movie, the meaning of this phrase was something along the line of, “Go ahead, do something stupid to give me an excuse to retaliate.”  Not at all the image or thought I choose to convey in these E-Musings.

Instead, I propose a different thought for “Make My Day.”  Maybe it should be, “Make someone’s day?”  A little more than three years ago, I wrote one of these E-Musings titled “The Blue Vase.”  In this article, I told of a cobalt blue vase we had in our house which, just by its presence, improved its surroundings.  It didn’t matter if it contained a beautiful bouquet or a single blossom; or even if it was completely empty.  This vase, just by being itself, brightens a room; it helps set a postive mood wherever it is.  At that time, I recalled people I knew who were like this vase, those with a personality, a warm and ready smile, those who brighten a room just by walking into it.  And I offered that, in my life, I mostly found these among my Christian brothers and sisters.

But sadly, In these recent years, I find this a diminishing presence. Happily, it is not universal, but I do sense a deeper and darker spirit in our world, one in desperate need of a cobalt blue vase.  There is a scripture from Isaiah 52:7 which says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things. --”  Now this is not a “prosperity gospel” message, but one of hope.  For it continues. “—who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!”  Yet, even among Christians, this message is being suppressed by the negative dialog and culture of the world.

We need more people who are ready and willing to proclaim the “good news” of the gospel of peace; those who know and shout out “Our God reigns!”  He has won the victory, and there is no reason for us to go about with long faces, but to become like that cobalt blue vase which brightens the room just by being there.

As I leafed through my notebooks where I have kept copies of past issues of E-Musings and found the original article, and as I was reading it, I began to wonder. “Where is that vase, I haven’t seen it for a while.  Did I give it away, surely not?”  I went to a cabinet which is high up and mostly out of reach and there it was, a bit dusty, but still the same beautiful and encouraging item I had remembered.  I rinsed off the dust, and placed it where I can readily see it as I go through my day, in my going out and coming in.  For I have been reminded that I can be an encouragment to someone else, -- the Lord commands me to be an encouragment, to  make a positive difference in someone else’s life.

    ”For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
    died for us, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each 
    other and edify one another, just as you also are doing”    (1 Thess. 5:9 -11)

As we make our way through this world, it is easy to observe the mass of wrong doing, the evil all around us, and to think, “What can I do? I am only one insignificant person. I have no power to change things.”  But you can, we all can.  We can speak the truth,  God loves you and He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  We have His word, and we Know that He is truth, He is the light of the world.  He has overcome.

Therefore, let’s just give it a try. Let’s walk into someone else’s life and brighten their day with truth and hope.Let’s be as a cobalt blue vase in their world.   Let’s be Jesus to them and, --- Make THEIR day!

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