Today is Groundhog Day.  According to popular tradition, it is the day when a groundhog is released from his den—and if he sees his shadow, it means that there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, then an early spring.  Of course, it is nothing more than a superstition, but a fun tradition nonetheless.  The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania; but we have Buckeye Chuck right here in Columbus.

Back when I was 13 years old, a movie came out called Groundhog Day.  It tells the story of a TV weatherman named Phil who goes to Punxsutawney to report on the groundhog festival there…but when he wakes up the next day, it is Groundhog Day all over again…as it is the next day, and the next day and every day after that.  Everything is exactly the same, except for Phil—he can change what he does each day, but the people and the events of the day don’t change.

I wonder, if you had to relive the same day over and over again, what would you do?  How would you fill a day that, by all appearances, wouldn’t matter tomorrow?  Play video games all day?  Eat junk food?  Go skydiving?  Use your knowledge of what would happen to get rich or famous?

Phil starts out that way, just doing whatever is fun—after all, he thinks, there are no lasting consequences, so enjoy the ride; but then he gets frustrated and sad that he can’t escape the day, just wishing it would come to an end; but eventually he decides to use the day to become an expert at all kinds of things—playing piano, ice sculpting, speaking French—mostly in an effort to impress a girl.  After a while, though, he starts using the day to help as many people as he can with little acts of kindness at every opportunity.  It is only when he has largely forgotten himself and filled his repeating day with acts of charity, that he finally wakes up one morning…not to another Groundhog Day, but to the next day of his life.

Obviously it is a silly story.  But sometimes silly stories can make us think.  Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”  If you had to live the same day over and over without knowing when or whether there would be a real tomorrow, what would you do with your day?  And should there be any difference between what you would do on the recurring day and what you’ll actually do today? 

Give it some thought…

And have a wonderful Groundhog Day.