In my book, “If I Should Die Before I Live,” I outline the seven days I believe all of us have to live. Seven specific epochs of time, all of them different, each of them challenging. Last week, I talked about one of those days: Someday. The next day that’s a challenge for most of us is the day we call Any Day.

There’s no question that Any Day bears a faint and yet undeniable family resemblance to Someday.  Both days are filled with events and activities we haven’t experienced yet.  However, Any Day is closer to this very moment in time than Someday.  Have you noticed? In fact, Any Day is so close to this very moment in time that we often refer to it as Any Day (now.)

And, Any Day is often comprised of even shorter, specific and yet, still-to-be-determined moments or measures of time: Any Minute, (now)  and Any Second, (now.)

There is a huge ‘time’ difference between Someday and Any Day. For example, there’s a certain ‘ultimacy’ or arrival point we can attach to Someday.  Most of us believe that, eventually, whatever is going to happen Someday will finally come to pass.  We have to wait around for Someday to show up. But, Any Day comes to pass a lot sooner than Someday.  Any Day always happens ‘before long.’  There’s a certain urgency or immediacy or ‘very-soon-ness’ we associate with Any Day.  In fact, perhaps the easiest way to differentiate between Someday and Any Day might be to think about the difference between your doctor telling you you’re going to die Someday, and his telling you you’re going to die … Any Day.

Any Day is the day patience waits for, and perseverance refuses to give up on. So much of life is spent waiting, standing in line, enduring the commercials so the story can continue, or the game can go on.

Waiting, of course, is as common as the tick of a clock. Waiting and developing patience represent some of the most important things human beings can ever engage in.  In fact, it is impossible to develop patience without spending a significant amount of time living life Any Day (now.) As you listen to these words, no matter who you are, or where you are at this moment in time, — you are waiting for something to happen, or resolve itself.  Everybody waits.  In fact, even God, (who created time, and is so big He doesn’t really have to wait for anything if He doesn’t want to,) once waited around for something to happen, Any Day (now.)  The Apostle Peter, in his first letter mentions that “… God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.” (1 Peter 3:20, NIV)  I’ve heard preachers talk about all the ridicule Noah must have endured from his neighbors, as they walked by every day, watching him build that big boat.  But, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention what it must have been like for Noah, knowing that God was ‘in the wings,’ waiting on him to finish hammering and sawing, so the rain could begin.

So much learning and understanding happens in life’s classroom while waiting for Any Day (now) to show up.  I don’t think I know anyone who actually enjoys waiting.

Next week, we’ll examine another of those seven days we all have to navigate:the day we call Every Day.