Dear Vanessa ~ Reflecting on Living in the Present

Dear Vanessa,

As I reflect on the past I have regret.    I look all around me and at times am overwhelmed with how difficult life can be.   What does this mean for me?  Where am I going?   Am I doing the work God wants me to?  What is my purpose?  I don’t expect you to answer all of these deep questions, but would appreciate your perspective.

Yours,

Erin

Dearest Erin,

We cannot change the Past.

We cannot control our Future.

We can live fully Present.

There are moments when each of us reflects on our life, our goals, our opportunities, and take stock of what we have been given and wonder what is to come.

Sometimes these moments are triggered by an event, an action, or a moment where we chose to pause.

Reflection on the past, present and future.

We cannot change the past, but we can use the past to adjust the present.

We learn, we tumble, we fall, and we pick ourselves up and step forward.

We need to remember that God is in control.

Being immersed in the present is a state of mind that we all find difficult to achieve.  But why?

  • We allow worry to consume our thoughts involving health, finances, and relationships.
  • “What if” scenarios creep in and cloud our mind.
  • We allow others to define who we are.
  • We have lack of boundaries and deplete our internal resources.
  • And one of the biggest things, we let fear rule.

What if instead we:

  • Start our day with gratitude, reflect on the beauty that surrounds us.
  • Decide that the moment is all we have control over, the rest is beyond our control.
  • Look in the mirror and see the reflection looking back at us and realize we are beautifully made, unique, and only one of us exists.   We look at that person and smile warmly.
  • Reflect internally to help us define who we are, and realize that the love of self and others is really what defines this life.
  • Learn how to say “no” a simple word that helps us balance our resources.
  • Embrace today, and think of one thing we could do for another human being, expecting nothing in return.
  • Let go of all envy, jealousy, and thinking into the future.
  • Are open and hopeful for today.

We have no control over the future, and cannot change the past all we can do is learn from it.

Embrace all that life has to give, live in the present, and stop your mind from ruining all that you are meant to receive.

The present is here and now, embrace all that it brings.   Embrace the sunshine and the rain.   All we have control of is the here and now.  

We have the power to choose our response, the rest is up to God.

 

Matthew 6:30-34 (GNT)

30 It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!

31 “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ 32 (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

Take a step forward and immerse yourself in all that you were meant to receive.  Living in the present is a gift we are meant to receive.

May you be blessed,

Vanessa

Where are you today?  Are you fretting about the future and what is to come?    Are you reflecting on purpose?  Consider leaving a comment and sharing your thoughts.

You can visit Vanessa’s personal blog at www.nesschesters.wordpress.com also email her at [email protected] with a comment or question.

 

Tags: future, God is in control, , Matthew 6:30-34, Past, present, the power of choice, , we can control our response

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