What Moment Are You Living In?

Today is December 13^th. I think. For me though, it might as well December 20^th or January 4^th or August 26^th. And I say that because I have found myself more often than not these days thinking ahead and not in just hours, but days, weeks and months. Do you ever find yourself waking up on a Friday and already dreading a Monday? Or worried about a situation that might happen next month? I know I am guilty of this and it reveals a big flaw in my spiritual life. If I am constantly living in the future, than I lose sight of the present. And when I lose sight of the present, I am left with little time to worship and praise God for this day he has given me and how lucky I am spend another day fulfilling the call he has me here on earth for.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago upon learning about a terrible tragedy involving a man from Hendersonville who was well known throughout the community. He was young, just married and headed to work one morning when he was tragically killed in a car accident due to heavy fog on the interstate. In a split second, lives were changed forever.

The future suddenly became irrelevant.

Far too often I wake up and take for granted the day I’m given. I hurry through breakfast, find out where in the world Matt Lauer is, try to squeeze in a “quiet time” and head off for a day that comes and goes in a flash. And each day I rarely stop to take the time to thank God for the breath he has given me. My nature is to worry about things down the road that I have absolutely zero , zilch, nada control over. I think I do. But in reality, I no more have control over the next 30 minutes let alone the next 30 days.

But occasionally, I do make it a point to stop to thank God for the present. I thank him that he has given me another day at a wonderful job that I love. I thank him for my wonderful family that I am blessed to be a part of. I thank him for friends that I can spend hours laughing with on a 12^th South patio or spend a Saturday with serving others. And on the days in which I do this, I am filled with such a comforting peace that it makes the days worries seem quite insignificant.

I love this line from author Francois Fenelon where he says, “To live in both peace and vitality, we’re invited to trust God and simply let his will unfold. That way, we go through each day in a spirit of worship, not being concerned whether we will have answers to our every question. Above all, live in the present moment and God will give you all the grace you need.”

This particular moment is all we need. It’s my prayer we would all stop and remember that each and every day.

“Heavenly father, help me to prayerfully receive whatever comes today. Let me see through your eyes what is really happening, with mind and heart fully open to your Holy Spirit.”