The other afternoon, I was visiting the hospital. I got on the elevator with a stranger.  The door opened on my selected floor. As I was exiting the elevator, the stranger said, “Have a blessed day, sir.”   

I felt a little guilty. I was the preacher. I should have been saying that to him!   

“Have a blessed day, sir.” What a beautiful thing to say to someone. All of our lives would be better if we could learn to say this to each other during each day. 

As I thought upon this experience, I was reminded of the person who told about the saying his mom had for him each day when he left for school. His mom would say, “Make it a good day.”   

There is a big difference in this and the usual statement. “Have,” as in “Have a good day” suggests merely taking something, while “make” encourages action and self-initiative. 

A day is good not because of what we take but because of what we give. Happiness doesn’t come from receiving but from giving.   

The Lord said, “It is more blessed to give then to receive,” (Acts 20:35).  

The “have” philosophy depends on what we find. The “make” philosophy depends on what we do. Days are bad because we leave them in that condition. Days are good because we make them that way. 

Remember the words of the psalmist: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it,” (Psalm 118:24).  

View each day as a special gift from God and “make it a blessed day.”