Ground Hog Day

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Matthew 7:25

It is very rare that my sister, Peggy and I fail to connect on a daily basis. We have been blessed to do this for many years. Sometimes, we don’t find much to talk about and our time spent on the phone is limited. At other times, we have what seems like endless conversation and are never ready to hang up. Over the course of our conversations, we have covered many subjects. You name it and we’ve probably talked about it and mulled over a solution! Whatever our conversation, it is always such a sweet time. We laugh, we cry, and we problem solve. I can count on one hand the times that we’ve disagreed about anything, and am so thankful for our like-mindedness.

On one of my daily calls to Peggy about a year ago, I began the conversation with some questions: “Hello, Sister, how are you?” “How’s your day going?” “Is today Ground Hog Day for you, too?” To which she would laugh and reply, “Yes, it’s Ground Hog Day again!” Being mostly in lockdown during the height of the pandemic, we were pretty much down to telling each other how many loads of laundry we had washed and dried on any given day! Our mundane chores had become a real topic of conversation! That was about all we had to discuss!!

This little joke of our repetitive days got me to thinking about the early 1990’s movie called Ground Hog Day. Some of you may remember it. In the movie, Bill Murray starred as weatherman, Phil Connors, who was sent to cover the Ground Hog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pa. His job was to report whether ground hog, Punxsutawney Phil, came out of his den or not. The masses who were gathered there waited in anticipation of whether Phil would see his shadow or not, thereby predicting six more weeks of winter or an early spring. While there to cover the event, something went wrong. Every morning when Phil’s alarm clock rang at 6:00 a.m., it was still February 2^nd. He relived the same day over and over until the calendar finally advanced.

One of the quotes from the movie that has stuck with me is, “Tomorrow will come and whether or not it is always February 2nd, all we can do about it is to be the best person we know how to be.”

For many of us, we did feel as though we were experiencing Ground Hog Day during the unprecedented time of pandemic. In many ways, we were stopped in our tracks. We had no knowledge of when the pandemic would end or how it would end. That was a pretty sobering thought not only for those of us here in the United States, but for everyone around the world. We had no reference point as to how we were going to handle each day as time lengthened and we couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. We were living in a time that none of us had ever experienced.

Just like the quote from the movie, “tomorrow” did come. After almost two years, we’ve gotten some sense of normalcy back. We’ve all been touched deeply by the illnesses and loss of family members, friends, and acquaintances. But as we go forward, living each new day that we are given, we can choose to make it the best day possible. By praying, reading God’s Word, being kind, compassionate, helpful, and loving toward others, we can share our faith with those who are anxious and weary from these days of uncertainty. We can depend on the light of Jesus to help us in all of our ways, and we can share that light with others.

I am thankful for the time spent talking with my sister, especially during those long weeks and months when we were unable to be together in person. Even if we experience another Ground Hog Day, we will be able to meet each new break of dawn with joy and hope because we know the God of all HOPE! We will rest in Him. Doing that sure does make a noticeable difference!!