Here in my country, the Philippines, we are familiar with the expression "Mañana habit," which means "putting off for tomorrow what one can do today." I also often hear the expression Bukas na lang, or "Let's do it tomorrow," from students and teachers. I myself have said those words especially in doing some schoolwork or housework— even in the reading of the weekly Bible Lesson.In the Christian Science Quarterly.
I'm the cook for breakfast at home, and I always planned to read the Bible Lesson first, before I did the cooking. But it never seemed to work out. Whenever the small clock under my pillow rang, I would think of getting up to start reading. But something always seemed to stop me from doing so. Later on I would tell myself, "There is still Tuesday. I can read the lesson then." When Tuesday came I was even more lazy about waking up for my reading time. But when it was time to cook, then I got up fast! Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, arrived but nothing happened. I hadn't read even one section of the Lesson-Sermon, so I couldn't participate intelligently in the discussion at the Christian Science Sunday School.
I began asking myself, "Why can't I 'rise up' in the morning when it's time to read the lesson?" The word future came to my thought, and I asked myself, "What will happen to me tomorrow, the next day, the next month, and in the following years, if I continue to practice the mañana habit?" My answer was, "There will be no bright tomorrow. There will be no development or growth in the future."
