Live in the NOW

~
In-Between Times

It could be argued that life is more about the time spent waiting for something to happen than it is about something happening. What this means is that the big events in our lives are preceded by many days and nights of dreaming, planning, organizing, and waiting. The times of waiting in between the big events actually constitute the majority of our lives. These in-between times are anything but uneventful. In fact, they are rich with possibility and filled with opportunities for reflection and preparation. Like a pregnant woman awaiting the birth of her child, we have a finite period of time in which to prepare internally and externally for the upcoming event that will define a new chapter in our lives.

When we find ourselves in an in-between time, we often can’t help but feel impatient for the impending event. We just want to get to the future and have the new baby, the new job, or the new house.

You must remember to remain fully engaged in the present as you await your future, savoring the in-between time as a vital experience in itself.

I must remember to NOT take each minute, each hour, and each day for granted, WAITING for the next “big event” in my life. Life is PRECIOUS, and I must remember to savor each blessed moment that God has given me.

Most of life is made up of everyday “common” moments (or "little events"), and I’m afraid that I miss out, by taking too many of these moments for granted. I don’t appreciate them enough. There is a lot of truth in the song “Live Like You Are Dying.” Perhaps coming to terms with our own mortality helps us to cherish even more, this precious life that God has given us.

I tend to “save” certain things for “really special” occasions. I have clothes that I “save” and don’t wear. This is crazy! What am I saving them for? I have to force myself to live more in the moment and NOT save everything for a future time. Fran has reminded me of this, and it is something that I am trying to work on.

It is also VERY easy for me to be NOT FULLY PRESENT in the moment. I have to FORCE myself to FOCUS on the moment. I must pause, take a “time-out,” look around me, and concentrate on FULLY taking in the consciousness of being alive at THIS second. Besides helping me LIVE in this moment, it will also make THIS moment of my life more vivid in my memory.

Life is not made up of a series of OUTSTANDING events; it is the common day to day things that happen and the simple (yet PRECIOUS!) interactions with others that make life so special. And all too often, these moments are overlooked, taken for granted, and not fully appreciated until they are gone.

I must concentrate on SAVORING each moment, and live in the NOW!
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