Miracles One Day at a Time

Focusing on the here and now to live life to the fullest

Not too long ago, I was asked why the name of this newsletter is “Miracles One Day at a Time.” This is not a phrase included in A Course in Miracles. Instead, the slogan “One day at a time” is often used and included in recovery programs. The adage serves as a mental and spiritual refrain to return to and apply in one’s daily experiences.

So, what does this have to do with A Course in Miracles?

Much of the Course is focused on drawing our attention to life in the present moment. The past is fiction, and so is the future. The only time there is is the here and now. The present is all we have. Here, in the present, is where we achieve our experience of oneness and our experience of God.

Holding resentments, anger, and unrest over past events only affects us here and now, in the present. Obsessing over the future and what may or may not happen has a similar deleterious effect on our peace of mind.

The past and the future are distractions from what life offers us today, this hour, this minute, and this very second.

“One day at a time” calls us to push our thinking in a new direction. It asks us to shift our focus to what is happening now and ground our spiritual fortitude in addressing and dealing with the issues and matters of today.

The beauty of this practice is that it allows us to reclaim our power. By letting go of what has transpired and what might come, we free ourselves to navigate the world with clarity and intention.

Obsessing and getting bent out of shape because of yesterday or tomorrow robs us of the experience of peace we can have right now. When we hold the past and future as considerations that we must resolve, attend to, and figure out, we allow our minds and hearts to descend into illusions.

Ultimately, we have no power to change or alter the past. Our capacity to affect the future is confined to what we do today.

Thus, “one day at a time” brings us back here and now. It asks us to direct our attention to that which is before us and take up our responsibility and ability to do what we need to do for today.

Does this mean we ignore planning for the future? Certainly not. Even the Course acknowledges that in this life, there are matters that we must contemplate, assess, and take action on that will bear relevance at some distant point in time.

“One day at a time” does not mean we ignore or fail to attend to matters of importance or that we do not act in ways that will promote our health, financial stability, and overall well-being beyond the present moment.

We do these things as acts of self-love and self-care. We take care of ourselves today as a foundation for the future.

But we do not obsess about tomorrow. We do what needs to be done. What needs to be attended to, first things first, and all the rest we put into the hands of a higher power, of God.

Thus, we focus on the miracles happening in our lives today. The miracles that are here, in this day, and focus on them one day at a time.

The world has gone batty. Everything is topsy-turvy, and the future of much we have known, loved, and cherished is being disrupted and torn. Worry and obsession will not lead to solutions.

The solutions, the actions we need to take, and how we need to think are clarified when we anchor ourselves in this moment, in today, and figure out what we need to do now to work towards the ends we seek to achieve.

I do not need to focus on tomorrow's miracles because God secured them for me. I do not need to figure out the exact steps or thoughts I will hold for tomorrow. All I need to do is apply myself to the fullest in the here and now to think in accord with God, acknowledge the miracles and blessings present in my life, and live as happily and peacefully as possible.

Is this easy? No, not at all. The ego is such that it may seem there is an incredible resistance to giving up obsession with the past or future.

But, in leaning into and turning to the notion of “one day at a time,” I can more fully embrace today’s miracles, which unfold one day at a time.

By honoring this present moment, I open myself to gratitude and appreciation for the small wonders life presents—moments of joy, connection, and insight that we often overlook. Every day offers an opportunity to cultivate awareness, letting us discover the beauty that lies in simple experiences—a warm cup of coffee, a kind word from a friend, or the laughter of a child.

In this light, the practice of “one day at a time” becomes less of a challenge and more of a joyful journey. In recognizing that today is all we truly have, we realize the profound depth of existence waiting for us to engage with it fully.

By leaning into and turning to the notion of “one day at a time,” we can more fully embrace today’s miracles, which unfold one day at a time.

Dear God,

Help to embrace this day to the fullest. Allow me to acknowledge Your presence right here, right now. Guide me so that I can act as you would have me act with everyone I meet, every task I must complete, and all the decisions I need to make. I let go of the past and whatever has occurred and taken place. I give the future to You and place it in Your hands. Help me today so I may recognize the miracles that abound in my life and so that I may give miracles to others.

Amen.

Prior Posts of Interest:

What is a Miracle?

Love Can Accomplish All Things

Jesus and the Authorship of “A Course in Miracles”

Working through the Workbook of “A Course in Miracles”

Defenseless Yet Undefeated: The Spiritual Path of Non-violent Resistance

Peace and Love,

A. Writer