Will this be the day I get the backyard garden in order? Or will I write a groundbreaking short story that redefines science fantasy for a new generation? Will I compose an anthem for the ages or something else that echoes through time? Will it be enough that I made the effort?
As I sit here scratching at my journal and sipping coffee, I’m not feeling ready to tackle great goals or attempt to bring grandiose visions into focus, but after all I am barely two hours into my allotted 16 hours of waking — and I slept through almost the first hour. Perhaps the caffeine will help.
On the other hand, I wonder if John Newton woke up one morning intending to write “Amazing Grace,” or if Shakespeare toiled over “Hamlet” believing it would still be performed in 400 years. The answer is probably more mundane.
On the third hand, Bruce Springsteen was tasked with composing a hit single to complete his new album and came back the next morning with “Dancing in the Dark,” and John Sebastian was asked to deliver a TV theme song overnight and came back with “Welcome Back,” which was so catchy the producers renamed the show they had been calling “Kotter.”
So: Sometimes greatness can be produced on demand, and sometimes you set out to produce something, anything, and greatness somehow ensues. It’s an inexact art.
One thing all those creators had in common, though, is that they sat down to produce. They showed up.
And so, here I am, Lord. What will we do with this most amazing day?
