Did you get a new planner for the new year? Oh, that clean calendar feeling! Nothing but blank space for as far as the eye can see. Depending on your season of life, there are no exam weeks or due dates for term papers, no prenatal visits or job interviews, no orthodontist appointments or weekend tournaments, no prostate exams or mole checks—nothing. 

My planner is so basic that I have to write in the name of the month and actually number each day. It’s not hard to see why this verse came to mind: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

How is a heart of wisdom gained by learning to number our days? Because I can write my husband’s birthday on the calendar, but it does not guarantee he will be alive to celebrate it. We can plan our 25th anniversary adventure on the Mediterranean Sea, but that doesn’t mean a worldwide health scare couldn’t shut it down. Since 2020, I think we all learned to write our plans in pencil. 

A heart of wisdom acknowledges that each day is a gift of God’s grace—not something we are owed. We thank the Giver of that gift by faithfully stewarding every moment he has entrusted to us. When I acknowledge that my time is not “Me Time,” I can hold my plans with an open hand, trusting the Lord to give and take away as he sees fit.