Enjoying the sun warming my face as I sit beside our waterfall on a prespring morning. The trees are awaiting the summons to explode into their canopy of multiple shades of green. As I take my last sip of coffee, the sunlight sparkles across the stream as the water cascades down the rocks into the turquoise pool below.
Two windchimes catch the breeze as it passes through the porch overhang and trade melodic peels. A wren rejoices in the new day splendor. A butterfly flutters past and lands among the yellow daffodils surrounding the garden fountain.
Our rooster crows, impatient to lead the hens out to scratch and peck. An anticipating young hawk squawks as it circles the barnyard. The coolness of the morning wind, carrying a hint of fragrant tea olive, refreshes my face.
The last twelve months have been strange. Sports were shut down. Politics and news became unbearable. Less distractions can breed moments as I describe above, intentionally savoring the details of our lives. But these moments don’t come easy for me. It’s a constant battle. Life flies by at alarming speed. A quiet, internal voice whispers, “Slow down.”
God has given us five sense to bring awareness of His creation around us. These senses are available now, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but now.
What are some of your favorites?
For me:
Sight: Sunset or sunrise over water or mountains
Sound: Water rushing past rocks in a mountain stream
Smell: Tea olive, gardenias
Touch: Sea breeze, fall wind in my face, soft sheets
Taste: Chocolate pie, dark coffee
When we savor now, we’re enjoying what God has given us. A lady on a plane once told me that’s why now is called the present. It’s a gift.
There’s a movie entitled Our Town which drives home this point.
Emily, one of the characters, dies while giving birth to a child. However, she is permitted by the stage manager to revisit the past and to step back into the morning of her twelfth birthday as an observer.
From her vantage point, she has a nostalgic appreciation of the transient beauty of life’s little moments. However, she’s struck by how the people, including her younger self, don’t have a clue how precious the moments really are. She is stunned that nobody savors and fully appreciates now.
Emily saw everyone as so disengaged. She would later ask the stage manager, “Do human beings ever realize life while they live it?”
Emily’s questions is profoundly convicting. How many moments have I missed by regretting the past or worrying about the future? How many opportunities have I missed with the ones I love? Do I lean in and truly listen? Or am I more concerned with what I’ll say in response? Am I really with others or am I half engaged, pondering a pressing duty?
Even in my morning times with God? Have I already allowed the awaiting responsibilities to distract me? Have I forgotten that God, the Creator of the universe, wants to be with me and enjoys my fellowship?
The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy, (Zephaniah 3:17 NASB)
Have I forgotten there is no place for worry?
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”[1] Jesus
And as I go into the day, do I forget to “abide” in Jesus the Vine of Life, to “tarry,” to “stay present with” Him?
Staying present with Jesus is essential to my day. Otherwise, He tells me my efforts are worth nothing. [2] How exhausting and deflating is that?
Challenge: Take notice of what you see and hear right this moment. Do you smell anything? Perhaps you’re drinking a cup of coffee and feel a gentle breeze upon your face.
What tends to call you away from being fully present? Is it a looming duty, a past regret, worrying about the future? Whatever it is it robs you of fully embracing the gift of now. Give these things to God and don’t take them back.
The people in our lives are loved and cared for during life’s present moments. In an instant, now become a memory. When we savor our times, with the people God places in our paths, there’s a richness which touches our hearts and slows the swirl of life.
But what’s most important is being present with God. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Jesus. God is in us and around us. We are in Him and He is in us. We are never alone. He’s always ready to enjoy the moment with us.
In Your presence is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11b NASB)
[1] Matthew 6:34
[2] John 15:5
Other posts in our series In The Moments:
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.
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Novels by the Author:
What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for? Beyond Time
By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains
