Or maybe time just flies. Why does time seem to fly faster and faster as you get older? When we were kids, it took forever for Christmas or birthdays to come around; now they come and go with increasing rapidity. While time is fixed and precisely measured, our perception of it is very relative. Two minute seems pretty short when it’s a coffee break but an eternity when you are holding your breath underwater! Does time fly faster as we get older because of the percentages? To a child, a month is a large percentage of their entire life; it not that large of a percentage to us geezers. Or is it that children are more finely tuned to the moment—they enjoy, experience and endure each moment in the moment. As we get older, we fill our present moments with "the daily grind" and put off living for the future moments-- evenings, weekends, and vacations.
It is easy to view Christianity as anything but living in the moment. We look back to the cross (past) that saves us so that we can go in heaven (future). If we are not careful, we may sanctify the past and look the future while we forget all about the present. But Jesus tells that faith means trusting God for today, right now, rather than being anxious about tomorrow. He says, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matt 6:34, NLT). Today's troubles are enough for today. So is today's joys. And today's daily grind.
Trusting God today means that we won’t to worry about what will come tomorrow. So we must live in the moment… remembering the past (cross) with an eye on the future (heaven). But we live right now in the moment. Today with its "daily grind" is a precious gift from God.
4 comments:
I am too busy moving through my scheduled items of the day to even notice the wonders of this world sometimes. And yet that's the dilemma, isn't it. So I’m focused on the grind and out of focus on God’s world. In other words, I’m in a rut. Do you ever think about why we are alive and how little time we spend realizing it? The past is gone, and no energy you expend will ever change it. The future is in God's omnipotent hands, so we’re free to focus on the present. It would do us well just to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, trusting him to forgive the past and transform the future. Someone said “Wherever you are, be all there” – not living in the past and not fantasizing about the future.” God wants you in the present because that’s where his grace will flow. No matter where we are we can shift our focus to God’s Grace. That might remind us of just how precious each moment of life is.
I'm so sad we missed you guys when you passed through. Next time! Glad you are home safely.
I was reminded recently as I was reading an article written by a nice sister who must have seen the movie “Pollyanna” (I haven’t seen it) but after reading the article written. . . I understand the tittle character helped to transform ‘an entire town of grumpy, quarreling people into a happy loving community by teaching them to play “The Glad Game”. The game involves finding something to be glad about in every situation. She reminds the caustic fire and brimstone preacher of the town, of how many “glad passages” and “happy texts” that are included in the bible. She tells him that if God tells us this many times to be glad and rejoice, then it must be something important to remember. ‘If we see life as a drudgery or opportunity? How can we reclaim the joy and gladness that God so explicitly desires for us to posses?’ She say’s. .. “
1) PLAN to be glad. It really is a choice. Resolve to be glad when you wake up every morning. Make it a day of rejoicing and the more you do the more you will, make it a habit. And try your best to stick with it. Share that joy with others and BE a joy to those around you.
2) (I like this one)> We can help ourselves by helping others < (amen and amen to that) She goes on to compare joy to golden coins that we should scatter about us. (Picture that; what good are coins if not used and what better way to use them than to shared with those about us) Making others feel good about themselves is a worthy cause. And she suggests some good ways to do that. Let others go first in line. Compliment and encourage someone. Send a card for no reason. See how many people you can get to smile back at you in one day. There really are endless possibilities! “The more you gladden someone’s day, the more joy will rebound to you.”
I am sorry. It took me so long to finish. It is the “daily grind” that calls to me and says, “if you want food you must be willing to work as you are able”. (when the work is done lets all sit around the table.)
I have missed listening to Tuck
Post a Comment