The Moment

2 Jul

“One today is worth two tomorrows.”  ~ Benjamin Franklin

This very moment.  It is a very powerful thing.  It is something that has never happened before and it is something that will never happen again.  Once the moment is past, there is no recovering it.  How many people make vain attempts to recapture their past?  They do all sorts of things that make them look silly; but, the past is over and they will never capture it again.  Oh, they might remind themselves of it; but, they will not get it back.

That is why it is so important to live in the moment.  If we tip ourselves too much in either direction (thinking/worrying about our past or focusing too much on our future), we will fail to embrace the moment as completely as possible.

“One today is worth two tomorrows.”  If you think about it, that’s a very deep thought.  As much as tomorrow might bring to us, it is still completely unrealized.  Today is where it is at because today is what we are experiencing.  Today is that tomorrow for which we longed yesterday.  (Okay.  I’ll quit playing with your mind this early in the morning.)

Think about it in terms of distracted driving.  Yesterday, I did my morning video about Indiana’s new law that prohibits the handling of cell phones while driving.  I reminded people that, at 55 miles per hour, it takes five seconds to travel the length of a football field.  If we are distracted and do not focus on the present moment, we might not make the length of that football field because we caused an accident.

Just the same, if we allow ourselves to be distracted and take our eyes off of today, tomorrow might be radically different.  We have to focus on what is happening to us right now, learn from what is happening to us right now, and be grateful for what is happening to us right now.

Can we long for tomorrow?  Of course.  Can we make plans for our future?  You bet.  We just should not live in our future while still in the present.  That will prevent us from seeing all that is important to see today.

God has so much in store for us.  He doesn’t want us to miss a single moment of His presence with us.  Look for Him in the day and be with Him in the moment.

FAITH ACTION:  Instead of getting lost in dreams of tomorrow, keep your eyes fixed on all that is happening to you today so that you can give God the praise that is His due.