Leap year offers extra day for God's work

Leap year! How did it happen? The actual length of a solar year is a little less than 365.25 days. When Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, he figured exactly 365.25 days per year; he arranged that every fourth year, the month of February should have an extra day. But by the 1500s, the calendar year was off by 10 whole days. How does one account for 10 extra days? Where does one put them? Pope Gregory XIII had the answer. He did his own reforming of the calendar. He omitted 10 days in October 1582.

The Gregorian calendar adds one day to February in every year evenly divisible by four; this is a leap year. The leap day isn't added in century years that are not divisible by 400, such as 1900.

"I always get mixed feelings every year at this time; They come as I reflect on the days I've left behind.

"It seems like just yesterday that New Year's Day was here; But here we are again beginning another new year."

-- "Another year" (author unknown)

Time is too short. We need to set aside some time to stop and reflect on our days here on earth. Time to recall the good things. It's time to let go and forget the bad. Good and bad things happen to us; but both will pass, and life moves on. Remember, In good times and in bad times, God is with us!

"Three hundred sixty-five days have been given me with special opportunities galore; One by one they have gone, never to be restored.

"Time is a gift from God allotted to every man; It is mine to use, and to do the best I can."

I'm only one person, what can I do? I have the opportunity to do one good deed every day; to say one kind, encouraging word every day. That amounts to 365 good words and good deeds every year -- 366 good things this year.

We don't have to limit ourselves to just one good thing a day. And there are no makeup days allowed; if we neglect to do something good for one day, we cannot make up for it by doing two good things the next day. Time is a precious gift; let's spend it wisely and well in this leap year!

"It is not in the past that I'll seek to stay; It is in the future, which begins with today!"

God has locked the door to the past. We can never go back and change anything in our past. That leaves us with today. What we say and do today will shape our future. What do we want our tomorrow to be? Tomorrow will be exactly what we decide to make it, by decisions we make today.

Dr. Don Kuehle is a retired United Methodist minister living in Jackson.