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Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12  

Our theme for 2026 is “One Life” which flows out of Psalm 90:12. Moses, the author, asks God a very specific request: “Teach us to number our days.” In other words, teach us to really count each day, to be aware of the passing of time and the gift that life is. It is about truly becoming wise in living each day. We don’t know how many we are going to get.  

So far in 2026, our family has been on a journey together, spending countless days in and out of hospitals and nursing centers. We have met a lot of people and seen a lot of things. We have gotten so good at navigating Atrium/Baptist that we give people advice and directions on where to go and how to get there. We’ve learned protocols and staff rotations and experienced student doctors making their rounds. We have our favorite parking places and know the security guards pretty well.  

10th floor Ardmore was our home for a while, and it began to feel like home. From there you can look down on Hwy 421 and see the traffic and then out towards Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain. Several times I was able to see storms come from the west and see where it was raining in advance of arriving and then watch it come right up to the building, engulf us, and then move on.  

We have met so many people and discovered countless stories. There was the nurse we met in the ICU in December and then had her again 4 months later who was and is our favorite, kind of a bookend to our time. She didn’t recognize us at first, but then she did and was in wonder that we had returned. There was the lady whom we met while sitting outside in the sunshine on a picture-perfect afternoon, who told us, “I am 93 years old and proud of it.” Then she told us again a few minutes later, and a few minutes later after that, all the while smiling, laughing and filled with joy. She was a former English teacher at West Forsyth, and I think she must have been a wonderful teacher. There was a lady on crutches walking in front of us who said, “I know people get mad at me because one day I feel good and the next I need these things, but that’s how MS is.” I wondered who might be mad at someone for that.  

There have been multiple doctors, a steady flow of experts in one field or another and we hear from them and then the next day there is someone new with a little different take so it’s hard to keep track, but they are all on their own paths with their own stories, and we walk for just a little while together and then on to other people.  

There are countless people for whom this is where they work; it is their job that allows them to have money to do the things they really want to do in life and yet still take the time to be courteous and kind. People like the tram operators and the valet parkers and the security guards and the custodians and the person who brings the dinners and the maintenance people and the transport people and the ones who open the gate to let you out with no charge if you have your badge.  

Life goes on everyday all around us. One life lived by each person. They... we are all made in God’s image, the Imago Dei, which gives us value in itself, but our true value lies in His love for us at every stage of our journey, unfolding before Him, one day at a time.  

I think about the play, “Our Town” by Thorton Wilder, where one of the main characters, Emily is allowed to go back in time to see the events of her 12th birthday. She realizes, "It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another.” The recognition proves too painful for her...  "all that was going on, and we never noticed" and she realizes that every moment of life should be treasured. 

Each day is a gift. With God it is a celebration. A celebration of life and hope and faith and love. God takes the journey with us and through Christ we have purpose and meaning. We may look back with “Ebeneezer stone” eyes and we see what God has done for us, and we learn to number our days and become wise in the process.  

So, count today as a gift. Get out and appreciate the people in your life. Get out and enjoy the sunshine and be proud of your age and let people see your joy. Live. Be alive. Walk with God and grow wise.