Living in the Present

 I visited with one of our senior adult ladies last night. We talked about life and getting older. I asked if she ever dreamed she would be where she is right now. She responded that her whole life she just lived in the present moment she was in. What a great way to live. 

There are plenty of people stuck in the past. They live their lives looking back over their shoulder at the good old glory days. The recall life when they were foot loose and fancy free in high school or college. The recount exploits they accomplished. You may especially see this in former athletes. They make themselves to be legends in their own minds. The tales get larger with time. 

On the other hand, there are people who live with past regrets. They cannot forgive themselves for a sinful blunder, a moral failure, or a very poor decision that resulted in painful consequences. I agree with the adage that we should learn from our mistakes. We cannot go back and undo them. Why waste the time pining away in regret and remorse. It is a waste of energy. Paul exhorts us to forget what lies behind and to reach forward to what lies ahead. [Phil 3:13] The past is in the past. We cannot recapture it. Yesterday is gone forever no matter how much nostalgia it still holds. 

There are other people who are wide-eyed dreamers. They live in the future tense. They are so focused on what they are going to do one day when they get around to it that they miss out on life right in front of them. Parents do this trying to make money and then one day realize the kids are grown and out of the house. They miss out of those wonderful bonding memories of early childhood all the way up to graduation from high school. 

Some dream so much about what they are going to do, but they never get around to doing it until it is too late. They are oblivious to the mercies and blessings of God all around them. They chase after the next dream, get rich quick scheme, or promotion. There is nothing wrong with having vision and pursuing goals. Not to the point of missing life in the here and now. If a person dreams but never does, they will waste a great of their life.

It is rare to find someone content to live in the present. These people age well. They do not try and hide their age with fashionable clothing more fit for teens than senior adults. They own their age with silver hair, wrinkles, and a few aches and pains to boot. Like Paul they learned to be content in whatever circumstances they are in at the moment. [Phil 4:11] It is a treasure to find people who enjoy life no matter what age they are. Singles who enjoy being single and the freedom to follow God on mission without the restraints of a family. Students who make the most of learning instead of wanting to hurry up and be grown and get into the work force. People starting their careers in entry level positions who are content to work faithfully where they are instead of striving to climb the ladder. Retired people who are not grumpy ranting about their dislikes. Middle agers who are not going through life altering mid-life crisis. 

Living in the present is a gift. For instance, it is nearing the end of a very productive day. I could shut it all down and call it done. Living in the present meant capturing that memory from last night and corralling those thoughts into words. I still have seven minutes before 5:00 p.m. Soon my bride of 33 years will walk through our front door. It really does not matter what we do tonight. I want to live in the present and just enjoy her company. A blessing I do not want to take for granted.