Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “this is a red letter day?” Where did such a phrase originate and what does it mean? Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
Usually a “red letter day” denotes a special event, like a birthday or anniversary. At times it may be a monumental one-time occasion in a person’s life: graduation, wedding, birth of a child or other significant moment. Today, most of us have personal calendars on our computers or smart phones to help us track our schedules. But centuries ago there were not many calendars and the ones that did exist were mostly hand made by scribes in monasteries. These ecclesiastical calendars used a reddish ink to mark the special, holy days on the church calendar. As a result they soon became known as “red letter days.”
Today we still mark our calendars with reminders for those extra special days of the year but let me suggest to you that every day you are alive is special? And while we celebrate certain occasions, one day is not more holy than another because God is present in each one. So live every moment as a gift from God; make every day a red-letter day!