I’m an organized planner and a dreamer, so as I go about my multitude of daily responsibilities, I tend to have a lot of “thinking” time. During those moments, I’m not just doing my task at hand, I’m also planning out the days, weeks and months into the future. Oh yes, I get things done. But I also make plans. Lots and lots of plans.
When my gift for planning is being used well, I bring people together. But sometimes I am so focused on the planning that I miss being with the people I love NOW. It’s as if my wiring has gotten out of control. Not mixed up – just on extreme overdrive.
Because what’s my hurry? Why do I have such high expectations for my output each day? Who am I trying to impress? No one is telling me to do more, and I know that there will ALWAYS be more work to do than what I can get accomplished in a given day. Still, I continue daily in the same way. But God has been trying to speak to me for quite some time about living in the present, not the future. The truth is though, I have a lot of trouble doing it.
A couple weeks ago, five of my little grand-babes were over. I was planting a few new perennial flowers in my wetland garden and they wanted to help. It was super sweet, and they couldn’t have been cuter with their garden gloves and small spades in hand. They wanted to learn — to do it right and to help me — and they did.
But it was the next part where I missed the God moment. After they had finished planting, I suggested that my eldest daughter get them some freeze pops (there’s that planning again) so that they could relax up on my deck and overlook the garden.
She helped them with their treats and set out kid-sized patio chairs; then the kids sat in a circle enjoying their freeze pops in the warm sun. I could hear them giggling and soaking up the moment. I, on the other hand, kept weeding. WEEDING! Deep in my heart, I knew that I should stop and join them but I had too much to do in the garden.
I’ve struggled over that decision ever since. Why couldn’t I have STOPPED for 10 minutes and enjoyed a freeze pop with them? My struggle went deeper than the freeze pops. It has caused me to really look into my heart and my choices. Was I seriously going to let a silly to-do list rule over the joy of living in the moment and recognizing the gifts that God places right in front of me each day? These sweet grandbabies won’t be little for long.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:33-34).
We worship such a great Father in Heaven that he often gives us second, third, and 50+ more opportunities to get it right when we humble our hearts and recognize that he’s trying to talk to us.
And I know that he’s trying to break through to me.
That next opportunity came last week, when three of my grand-babes were over and they asked if I’d make them popcorn … and then sit by them and eat it. Ding! Ding! Ding! NOTHING was as important in that moment as stopping and sitting with one on each side of me and one in my lap while we ate that popcorn. This time, I got it right. And it was delightful.
These are the cherished moments that I’ll remember, and they will too. When we choose to stop and live in the moment and share in an activity our kids care about, that action speaks volumes! It tells them (and God) that they are SO very important and that nothing else matters as much as they do. Those are some of the sweetest times of life, and I don’t want to miss out on any more of them. Because really, those moments belong to God, don’t they? And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have more time with him … and less time in the weeds.
Journal/Reflection Questions:
- Do you know how to stop and enjoy your loved ones in the moment, or do work or hobbies come before them?
- When was the last time you intentionally “stopped” to live the moment with your littles? What was that like? What will they remember? What will you remember?
- As you read the scriptures below, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal something new about the way to live your day:
- Matthew 11:28-30
- Psalm 37:5
- Psalm 37:7
- Colossians 3:23
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Say this PRAYER out loud:
“Jesus, I love you and I want to live my life for you. Will you please show me the areas of my life that I’m living outside of your best plan for me? Please put my life in order so that I put your important purposes first. You have given me just today and I can only get specific things accomplished in this day. May I use my time in a way that honors you. I want to show love to you and my family to the best of my ability. In Jesus name, I pray. AMEN”
Kathy Morgan has been married to her best friend, Bob, for over 37 years. Together they have four grown, married, children and seven grandchildren. Kathy is a Hospital Chaplain and loves mentoring women, hosting ministry events in her home, prayer, cooking, reading historical Biblical fiction, and eating all forms of potatoes.