I have a friend who has spent many Sunday's of his career working in a trailer. And I'm so grateful.

He's the guy responsible for cueing up the instant replay for NASCAR races. He called his Sundays at the track, "The Church of the Left-hand Turn". Watching each of the monitors, he would determine what shot best illustrated the pit crew's delay, the car's impact into the wall, or the restart after a yellow flag. I'm not sure replay teams gets enough credit. They improve any sport...even NASCAR.

In fact, it doesn't matter the sport, instant replay makes it so much better, whether it's football, volleyball, baseball, soccer, tennis, or golf (if you consider golf a sport). Watching the diving catch in slow motion helps you appreciate the skill of the outfielders. Analyzing the foul committed by the lineman adds clarity to the call. Watching the curve of the pitch as it slowly crosses home plate reveals the absolute accuracy of the pitcher. A slow-motion over-head bicycle kick of the soccer ball into the goal, from every angle, awakens the senses.

Wouldn't it be nice if life came with instant replay? We could learn from our mistakes in real time. We could celebrate our wins as the camera rolls and the crowds cheer. Unfortunately, life in real time doesn't come with a trailer parked outside our office or home, cueing up the camera angles and crowd reactions.

Thankfully, we do have the ability to replay life at the end of each day, if we so choose. In the closing minutes of the day we can take pen to paper and reflect on highlights and lowlights, the opportunities to celebrate success and the occasions to learn from our short-comings. Reflection can be as simple as noting the moments that stand out. It can also mean going a little deeper and analyzing our thoughts, our words, and our actions. It could lead to future, better decisions...or prayers for forgiveness and wisdom.

This week, I invite you to pick up a pen, pencil, marker, or crayon and a journal, legal pad, napkin, or sticky-note. Tick off some of your thoughts and memories of the day. Play the day over in your head and document the events on the paper. Celebrate the moments when you were the best version of yourself. Pray for those moments when you fell short of your best. Invite God into the day you just lived, and into the day you will live tomorrow. Like a slow motion game film, this practice has the potential to improve your life in ways that will be obvious to all who watch.