Present in the Moment

Aaah....the great struggle to be present in the moment.  To truly live in the now.  Some purposely avoid living in the moment because it is painful.  Others believe that the future will be better and so they keep dreaming about tomorrow.  Think of how many times in your life you just wanted to know so badly how it all would turn out.  More times than you can count, I'm sure.  But we're not in our heavenly home yet.  It's not time yet to know how it all turned out.  We're in the thick of the battle. Moment by moment, decision by decision.  

I imagine our lives as a road map far more complicated than any real road map.  But the only parts you see at any given time are each based on all the possible decisions we could make at any given moment.  One of these roads is the one that God would have us choose.  The one that is in line with His will if we choose to be in relationship with Him and allow Him to guide us in our decision.  We may choose His way or we may choose another.  I believe that when we choose a road other than the one He would have us choose, new roads arise with our next decision and the awesomeness of our God is that these new roads always include His road.  He never leaves us.  He is always making a way for us that is good.  Not necessarily easy or only full of happy moments but one that is purposeful, without regrets, brave, meaningful and joy filled no matter what the world throws our way.

Be present.  See in each moment the roads before you and always seek to find the one that God would have you choose.  We all have moments that we choose the wrong roads.  I know that daily I take several side streets that were not God's way.  In my life I have also taken far too many of the wrong main roads and even highways too.  But no matter how much I've made a mess of things and no matter how much the enemy wants me to think I'm stuck in a traffic jam that I can't get out of (that feeling of hopelessness); God makes a way.  Wherever you are on your road map...find God's road.  Find peace there.  Find purpose there.  Find joy there.  Find unconditional love there.

Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Brandon Heath's No Turning Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_TGh9-iabM

Patience with Persistence...and always Prayer

I have had some moments over the last year that have left me with lingering feelings about what God would have done in my life.  These moments rush in with a sense of urgency and leave me feeling so grateful that God would entrust me to carry out His will.  I immediately want to throw caution to the wind and act on these feelings but often find roadblocks along the way.  

I have learned the importance of patience and continued trust in God, and more recently, the importance of persistence.  These roadblocks do not necessarily mean that those moments were not of God.  The enemy is constantly at work and would hate to have God's will fulfilled through me.  So I must press on and continue to pray and hear the voice of truth above all the other voices.  

I have also learned that I cannot just sit back and wait for what God spoke to me to fall in my lap.  I must act on it as He directs me to.  Once again, it's gotten hard to keep my priority focused on the Lord....so...I think it's time for peanut butter and jelly prayer (see my previous post Peanut Butter and Jelly, August 24, 2014)!  

This post brought a great song to my mind.  Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pv5wVS7yzk