With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Forever is composed of nows. ~Emily Dickinson
Often when we are living between breaths, our focus just becomes…the “next” breath. When will it come? How deep will it be? Will I feel it or will it be effortless? That next breath. Life can get overwhelming if all you are doing is focusing on what comes next. The tendency to only focus on tomorrow, next week, next year or worse – focusing on the past will leave us frustrated and stuck. Although we can learn valuable lessons from history and we should think about our future, we cannot stay there. We have to stop and focus on what is happening right now. When we remember that God will never waste a single moment on us, each moment suddenly seems much more valuable…holy.
It reminds me of the question God asked Moses in Exodus 4. Our Sovereign, all-knowing God asks “What is in your hand?” Moses was holding the rod – the rod that would help him through various situations. He didn’t need to be concerned about the why, when or how. He just needed to know that everything he needed was in his hands NOW. In many ways, God was telling Moses to stop and look at what is happening right now. “Moses, what do you have to use RIGHT NOW?’
Jesus further tells us to not worry about the future. The NLT asks us: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27) I even like the way the Apostle Paul furthers this principle: “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Again – the reminder is that we are not GOD. We need to “stay in our lane” and deal with what is on our plate at this moment.
Another wonderful way this principle is laid out is in the beautiful scripture in Philippians 4. Paul admonishes us to think on what is now – don’t assume, don’t get ahead of yourself, don’t let your imagine drift too far: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
As we are in between breaths, let’s stop worrying about when and how the next breath will come. As children of the most loving and faithful God, we know for sure that the breath is coming. It doesn’t matter how or when. Let’s just focus on what God has given us to get through THIS breath, THIS moment.
This breath. This moment! I love it. That's where are am. That's where I'll stay.
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