If you’ve read Parting the Waters, you will probably remember the account of my cleaning Jacob’s room a couple months after his near-drowning and finding the slogan taped above his bedroom door: "Today is the greatest day, and I am in it." At the time he was lying in a coma at the nursing home. When I read those words, I hit a new low in my grief and, between sobs, asked God once again how this could be His plan.
And God spoke.
Our daughter, Grace, adopted the phrase and placed it above her dorm room door in college. Now that the book is carrying the message literally to the far corners of the world, I’ve been hearing from various people who’ve made it their daily declaration, too. One woman I met when I spoke at a retreat was inspired to create a painting that now hangs in Jacob’s current room.
Last Friday evening I spoke to the precious young women at East Texas Open Door. Afterward we hung out over refreshments, and every one of them took up permanent residence in my heart. I signed a book to each girl and included this phrase: "Today is the greatest day, and you are in it."
I can be a little slow, but I’m beginning to realize that this is no small thing. What Jacob once penned as a private reminder is inspiring who-knows-how-many people to live each day to its fullest. One more ripple from his life. One more glimpse into the beauty God is creating from brokenness.
This morning I received yet another e-mail from a mom who is helping her daughter paint the phrase above her bed in her new apartment. She wrote to verify the exact wording because they didn’t have the book handy. In my response I asked her to please take a picture of the results and send them to me. And then I had an idea.
If you’ve written, posted, or painted Jacob’s words somewhere, would you do me a huge favor? Photograph it and send me a copy. I’d love to collect as many as possible and post them on my website. You can send them to me at jeanne.damoff at gmail.
Whether you’ve adopted the phrase or not, the saying is still true for you. Today is the greatest day, and you are in it. Let’s live like we believe.
Okay, weird…
I just sent an email to your yahoo account asking if I could write a post about Jacob not 5 minutes ago. Let me know if you got it, okay?
Thanks – katdish
Jeanne,
I cannot tell you how moved I am by all of the words and images and life that this wonderful cyber world can weave into a life just like that.
You humbled me, taking the time click into my rambling coming together self.
And here you are an artist, a phenomenal incredible and so so stretched woman, mother , wife, etc.
I am deeply touched by the story of your son, and am going to buy and read the book.
I will contact you again when I decide just how to honour those words of Jacob’s , so that they continue to bless.
deb @ talk at the table