Psalm 16 What About Those Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days?

There is a children’s story with the very expressive title of: “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. It is about a little boy for whom nothing goes right. The story opens with these words:

“I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day… I think I’ll move to Australia.

A multitude of bad things continue to happen to Alexander throughout his day and he talked about them with his mother that night. At the end of the story Alexander says, “It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia.”

I had one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days last Tuesday. I cracked a tooth and glumly went to the dentist thinking it would result in a crown and about $600 out of my pocket and $600 out of Delta Dental’s pocket. The dentist looked at it and said, This is pretty bad, pal. Best case scenario we are looking at a root canal and a crown. Let’s prepare the tooth for a crown and see if we can tell how deep the crack goes. After what seemed like hours of listening to his drill screaming and smelling what I suppose was burning enamel, he announced that it was worse than he thought and we wouldn’t be able to save the tooth. I was looking at an extraction and either a bridge or an implant, both of which cost a boatload of money. I opted for the implant and have started that long, arduous and expensive procedure and have the empty space in my smile to prove it.

When I got into my office, after my experience with the dentist, I called the candidate that our Youth and Family Pastor call committee determined was our finalist. He is wonderfully gifted, stood out above the others and we were really excited about him. I wanted to see how he felt about his meeting with the youth at “Late Night.” He said he really enjoyed it and that it is always good to be with the kids, but that he had decided to withdraw his name from consideration for the call. He explained that he has really been trying to discern what God is calling him to do in ministry and he has determined that he wants to be a senior pastor rather than a Youth and Family Pastor. That was exceedingly disappointing because he would have done a great job here as our Youth and Family Pastor, but both the congregation and the candidate have to discern what is God’s will in these matters and our candidate didn’t feel called. I can accept his discernment that this wasn’t God’s will for his life, but knowing we have to start all over with new candidate names and profiles still contributed to my feeling that this was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

That afternoon I went to visit a friend who is battling cancer. It made me realize that my day wasn’t so terrible, horrible, no good or very bad after all. It was a bump in the road. My friend talked about how when he gets up in the morning he says, I am alive today so I am going to enjoy it! That is a great attitude.

Someone sent me a YouTube video of a man who actually gives thanks to God for his cancer. He says having cancer and facing death has made him a better husband, a more caring father and a better friend. Knowing that he may not have a long life has caused him to live the days he has more fully.

Our Psalm for today can remind us that even when we are experiencing a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day; even when troubles and problems would seem to overwhelm, us there is still hope. As Christians we live in hope. Our hope rests not in our own strength and not in the situation, but in God. The Psalmist says, Because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body shall rest in hope. God can give us the hope, strength and courage we need to face whatever comes our way.

I recently saw an interesting description on one man’s refusal to give in or give up despite a series of terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. It said:

“In 1831, he failed in business.

In 1832 he was defeated in the legislature.

In 1833 he failed in business again.

In 1834 he was elected to the legislature.

In 1835 his wife-to-be died.

In 1836 he had a nervous breakdown.

In 1838 he was defeated for Speaker of the House.

In 1840 he was defeated for Elector.

In 1850 a son died.

In 1855 he was defeated for the Senate.

In 1856 he was defeated for Vice-President.

In 1858 he was defeated for the Senate.

In 1860 this man, Abraham Lincoln, was elected President.

Hopefully, our resume doesn’t list quite as many terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days as Abraham Lincoln’s does. You can bet Lincoln was tempted to give up. It is always easier to quit than carry on when things get difficult or discouraging. But God can give us the strength we need to forge ahead.

The Irish tenor, Ronan Tynan, had both legs amputated below the knee after a motor bike accident many years ago. How would you react to such misfortune? Tynan responded by becoming a medical doctor, a well-known Irish tenor, and an excellent athlete. In the 1984 and 1988 Paralympics, he won four Gold Medals in the discus, shot put and the long jump. He even rode show horses. A tall man, he had a special set of artificial legs made for riding. He became an equestrian master.

A reporter once asked Tynan, How tall are you, really? Tynan replied, I’m adjustable.

I love it! What a great attitude. Some of us think that if we lost our legs, the world would come to an absolute end. It doesn’t have to. We, too, can be “adjustable.” With the help of our Lord who loves us we can make the adjustments we need to face the things that come our way.

An unknown author has penned these words, Everything is always OK in the end; if it's not OK yet, then this is not the end. God has promised us that not even death is the end, for he will raise us up to new life in his kingdom forever. We will share in the ultimate victory over sin and death that Christ won for us with his cross and resurrection. The author of Psalm 16 says it this way, For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit. You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

There are going to be those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days in life, but God will help us through them.

I am not happy about losing a tooth and having to shell out thousands of dollars for an implant. But I am thankful that I live were there are dentists available who are able to resolve the problem. I am grateful that I can afford to have the work done and thankful that I won’t look like a toothless goofball when this is all over.

I am not happy that our pastoral candidate decided to withdraw or that we have to start over from scratch. But I am confident that in the end God will lead us to the right person for this call and that Christ the King’s Children’s Youth and Family Ministry will be blessed under their leadership.

I am not happy that my friend has cancer. I have lost too many family members and friends to this disease. But I am grateful that he has such a good attitude and that we can all have hope in the power of God to heal people. And if that healing doesn’t come in the form of a cure for cancer that we know we have a sure and confident hope in the promise of eternal life.

I am not happy that you are facing or will face some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. But I am grateful for the knowledge that Everything is always OK in the end; if it's not OK yet, then this is not the end. I am thankful that we can all say with the Psalmist, Because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices, my body also shall rest in hope.

Even when we have a “Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”, God has promised to be there to give us hope and help. Trust in that promise. Amen.

Let us pray: O God, we give you thanks that you are with us in the good days and the bad. Because you are at our right hand we shall not be shaken. Instead our heart can be glad and our spirit can rejoice and our body can rest in hope. Fill us with faith in your promises and help us to share the good news of your loving and strength giving presence with all we encounter. Amen.

GUIDED BY THE GOSPEL: GATHERING • GROWING • GIVING