In The Moment

29 Apr

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

Too many of us have a hard time living in the moment.  We are too busy reviewing yesterday, last week, last month, or what we did when we were a freshman in high school.  We cannot seem to let go of the past.  Others might have no problem letting go of the past but cannot live in the moment because they are too busy fretting about the future.  They worry about tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or what they will be doing ten years after retirement.

It does us very little good to hang on to a past that we cannot change — although we need to make sure that we have learned from our past — or to fret about a future that is largely out of our control.  When we do so, we fail to see what is right in front of us at this very moment.  We miss all the joys of the day, all the opportunities that might come our way, and all that is being offered to us by others.

We also miss all of that comes from God as well.  When we become too wrapped up in past or future, we do not have time or space in which to let in God.  We keep Him away from us often refusing to let Him in because we fear that He will ask us to cast off our past or to quit worrying about our future.  Which is, precisely, what He wants us to do.

God knows that excessive worry gets us nowhere.  He wants us to be at peace with ourselves, with our world, and with Him.  We cannot possibly be at peace, though, if we are shackled by things that we cannot control and things that we refuse to release.

Winnie the Pooh certainly has the right idea.  He is happy with the day.  He lives for the day.  Today is his favorite day.  May it be yours as well.

FAITH ACTION:  Let go of yesterday and do not worry about tomorrow.  Live in the moment today, giving thanks and praise to God for all that comes your way.