For the relentless mental battles we constantly fight, let us consider three words.

The first is for yesterday, and the word is mercy. Mercy for all of the misgivings we have about missed opportunities, bad behavior, basically the mistakes that we've made and just can't fix. Let's have mercy on ourselves. Let's stop putting quarters into the kick-me machine and more fully embrace our humanity, which means we will make mistakes, and many of them will be unfixable.

The second word is for today, and the word is love. There are few things that bring greater contentment than the things we do out of love. Caring for customers, being patient with loved ones, our goal for the present moment and for everything we do in it is love as we consider the scriptures, 'walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God' (Ephesians 5:2).

The third word is for tomorrow, the word is providence. This word tells us to leave tomorrow to God. We have no business worrying about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries at its own. While there will always be a thin line between planning and worrying, let's make sure we draw that line and stay on the right side of it.

Mercy for yesterday, love for today, and providence for tomorrow, three words to help us keep it together.