Who else was relieved to wake up this morning and realize – YAY! It’s already Wednesday. Hurray! After two fabulous weekends of family, friends, fun, and festivities – we return to tasks we left in various stages of completion a few days ago. How we crave time off; hours of time spent with people we care about, but don’t often meet ‘in person’. Time to put the to-do list on sabbatical, or at least hide it under a pile of magazines till you’ve read through enough of them to unearth the list once again.
Did anyone spend a full day in PJs? I didn’t quite make it to that stage of vegetation, but I went a full day without makeup. A glance in the mirror around 8:00 pm reminded me in shades of pale why I never leave the house without it. Not that I’d scare people, but it could be cause for a few small animals to scurry under the couch.
The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas are cherished times for me. Not just this year, but every year. I wait with such anticipation of the events that bring us together with family more often and with friends we see regularly, but always on the run. I confess I spend too much time fretting about how quickly the season passes and how I wish to extend it. I fail to be in the moment and cherish that time I do have. Does that ever happen to you? Do you dread the fading of good times and forget to enjoy them while they are here? Allowing anxiety to creep in at the precise time we should be enjoying the experience is borrowing from tomorrow before it’s here.
In Matthew 6:34 we’re reminded about that. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” It’s futile and exhausting to live tomorrow while it’s still today. I’m not waiting till the next holiday season to learn how to stay in the moment and experience the joy that is happening ‘now’ and let tomorrow come to me tomorrow.
There is a time for planning. In fact to be conscientious and productive, we all need to plan for our future. But when we are in the company of family and friends, let’s put the tablets aside, focus on the relationships of the moment, be attentive, and hug them with your presence. Wisdom from Proverbs 27:1 says “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
Whether at home, work, school, or play – today is all we’ve got; tomorrow is the result of how we live it. Colossians 4:5 …. “Make the most of every opportunity” What skills, talents, and resources will we use today to create a masterpiece for tomorrow?
Because of Grace we Press On