Living in the Present

I'm continuing to read the book "Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting" with my friend Chris. We have made it to the chapter entitled "Living in the Present". Well it seems to have been appropriate for me this week and as I read it again about a million things jumped out at me. I will see if I can run them down in some orderly fashion.

• Matthew 6:34- So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today's trouble is enough for today.  That's just what I needed to hear.  The author goes on to quote a journal passage from Etty Hillesum, who lived during WWII in one of Amsterdam's Jewish communities.  She writes, We make mental provision for the days to come, and everything turns out differently, quite differently.  Sufficient unto the day.  The things that have to be done must be done, and for the rest we must not allow ourselves to become infested with thousands of petty fears and worries, so many motions of no confidence in God.  
• The author answers that by saying...The longer I live, the more I believe that worry is an utterly unprofitable and ineffective condition.  The truth is, worry  never teaches us anything useful.  When we worry, we disempower ourselves and lessen our trust in God.  When we worry, our anxiety mounts as we manipulate everyone around us to make room for our worry and to accommodate our anxiety. 

Well it seems I needed to hear those things.  She continues to ask the questions, what is good right?  what can I be at peace with today?  I'm one of those worriers.  I can totally relate to worrying and then realizing that I wasted so much time and alienated other people in the process.  I wonder what would happen though if I could live in the present and realize what I get done is what I get done.  Prioritize and know that it will all be there tomorrow,  or maybe not.  Maybe the worry is so focused in the now that if I just live in the present it wouldn't even be there.  I know we all need to look ahead, but I feel I could spend all my time doing that.  Making list after list to try and stay ahead of what's happening right now.  My favorite part is where the author says "It is sufficient unto the day."  It is sufficient that I don't clean the bathroom every week, but I read to my son.  It is sufficient that I am blogging instead of making the bed.  God has given me enough to be sufficient for today and if I could just live in that I hope I could stop with all of the worldly things I think I need.  

She also told the story of a parent putting the following sign on the footboard of her daughter's bed "Mom and Dad love Gail.  God loves Gail."  She was talking about how living in the moment creates opportunities for us to show faithfulness and love to one another.  "Waiting invites us to recognize Jesus and his call to faithfulness in the most ordinary moments of life."  I asked Martin "do you know Mommy loves you?"  He nodded yes and kissed me.  Well, that's living in the moment.  I live in the moments to tell my son how much I love him.  I want him to always know "Mom and Dad love Martin.  God loves Martin."