The Here and NOW!

I am and as far back as I can remember have been a good organizer.  I can remember sitting in the shade of the tree on my parents front lawn while in junior high with a couple of my friends leading the discussion as we lazily tried to plan our activities during the heat of the summer.  During my senior year in High School I helped to organize, lead and cook a barbequed chicken dinner in honor of our teachers.  As a Junior College student I wrote and co-directed (with my wife to be) a rock opera that we performed for the community at our church on two consecutive weekends.  Then over the years in the ministry I have written numerous plays, countless puppet skits, wrote and organized Vacation Bible Schools, Family Fun Nights, and church dinners as well as a myriad of youth retreats.

I have discovered that I enjoy the planning stages of the events as much as I have enjoyed the events themselves!  Recently though, I began to see that I always seem to be planning for the future, and began to question that maybe I am living a little too much for the future.  It is a little bit like the old saying that “the grass is always greener on the other side!”  I am the type of individual that likes to have a project before me.  I guess it tends to keep me going.  But am I living so much for tomorrow that I am missing the full extent of today… of the here and NOW?

Have you ever thought about that?  Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “NOW faith is…”  Faith is always NOW, if what you’re believing for is in the future then its hope and not faith.  Current, active faith is always in the present.  It hit me as a little interesting while I read the conversation from Matthew 3:15 this morning.  Just as Jesus was stepping out into His  public ministry John the Baptist tried to correct His steps when Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized.  But Jesus knew His Father’s plan and “answered him ‘this is the way it has to be NOW.  This is the proper way to do everything that God requires of us.” (God’s Word ©)

Jesus was well aware of what had to be accomplished NOW according to His Father’s plan and purpose for His life.  He knew that how He lived His life today was an important key to how His future would unfold.  I sometimes wonder if I am so focused on tomorrow that I miss some of the small but important details of what I am supposed to be doing or the full extent of the blessings He has in store for me today.

Now that we are getting settled here in North Carolina I have found myself getting off into planning our future home, ministry, car, friends, and so on.  Then this morning as I took the dog out I suddenly stopped and sort of “smelled the roses.”  As I stood on the green lawn I paused and took in all the sights and sounds surrounding me.  I enjoyed the tall pines and other foliage, the singing birds, noticed the way the cool wind twirled the leaves, I savored the pleasant temperature, took in the scents that were in the air and thought about how nice THIS place, this apartment community is today… right here and NOW!

Do you ever find yourself pushing yourself through the week so you can make it to the weekend when you can relax and enjoy life?  Why not take a moment right NOW and in Christ, relax where you are!  His peace and His joy are not stored away in a container that you can only open on your day off or after your work day is over!  They are available anytime, anywhere.  It is up to us to take advantage of the blessings He has in store for us wherever we may be!

I can remember getting upset with the smokers that I worked with at the different jobs I had back in California over the years because it seemed like they were always taking a break so they could go out to the designated smoking areas for a ciggy!  Then one day it dawned on me that I could occasionally take a break just to go out and enjoy the fresh air for a few moments as well!  NOW I am coming to realize that I need to do the same today.  I need to take the opportunities that present themselves to enjoy the NOW in my life.  Why wait for the future when NOW is here at this moment… right?

So don’t miss God’s call for you in the here and NOW!  Don’t miss the opportunity to be blessed and be a blessing right NOW!  Have a great week… Have a great NOW!  Stay in tune to His Word and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting… right NOW?”