February 29: An Extra Day

Today is a day most years don’t have. What will you do with it?

Psalm 90 is the oldest psalm, credited to Moses. It’s a sober look at how short life is. Our years pass quickly, Moses says, like grass that sprouts in the morning and withers by evening. Then he prays: teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Numbering your days isn’t about being morbid. It’s about paying attention. Treating each day as something real, not just another one to get through.

Drinking makes days disappear. Not just the blackouts, though those are real. Whole weekends blur together. Seasons pass without leaving a mark. Years go by and you can’t say much about what happened in them. Many people in recovery grieve the time they lost.

Today is a small picture of the opposite. An extra day. One that wasn’t on most calendars. You get to live it sober, and remember it.

People in recovery count days. Thirty days. Ninety days. A year. At first it might seem like a gimmick. But it’s actually a form of what Moses asks for. Each day counted is a day noticed. A day that mattered. A day you were present for.

On this extra day, think about how you want to spend the ordinary ones. Wisdom, in the psalm’s sense, isn’t just knowing facts. It’s knowing how to live. What deserves your time. Who deserves your attention. What’s worth giving yourself to.

You’re standing between two steps right now. Step Two is about believing God can restore you. Step Three, starting tomorrow, is about deciding to let Him. An extra day is a good day to get ready for that decision.

Spend it well. Call someone you love. Go to a meeting. Take a walk. Pray. Rest. Do one thing you’ll be glad you did when you look back on this day four years from now.

One thing today

Do one thing today you’d want to remember four years from now. Write it down tonight, with today’s date.

A prayer

Lord, thank You for this extra day. Teach me to number my days and live them well. Help me be present, sober and grateful, today and every day You give.

From Step Two toward Step Three.

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