Getting into this present moment is a gift that you can give yourself right now. You can always choose to think of something beautiful and good and lovely. The key to the good life is getting into the moment and making it wonderful.
“We’re all walking around hungry for an elusive something, and missing the very thing that could fill us up — showing up. Being fully present in our own lives.” Geneen Roth -author of When you Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull up a Chair.
What are you hungry for today? Are you hungry for an elusive something as Geneen calls it? What is that? Your wasband back? All the stockings present on the mantle? Okay, you don’t have those things. What do you have? Whom do you have supporting you and loving you and wanting the best for you now? Are you not paying attention to the gift of their presence and loyalty because you are missing one someone who is not missing you? Stop being hungry for something you can’t have and absolutely savor all those delicious things you do have around you this season … this very moment. Especially embrace the eternal now that becomes real in the story of God come to earth. Are you going to blow that off because some shallow, selfish person went his own merry way without a second thought about everything he left behind? Stop it. Stop thinking about him. Think about being fully … completely … joyfully present in your amazing one-of-a-kind, precious life. A granddaughter and I made a couple of orange clove balls not long ago … just smelling that Christmas smell brings me back to all of the incredible gifts I can eat up right this minute. Make an orange clove ball of your own and let it remind you of all you can taste and enjoy this very minute. Really look at the sights around you …. for their own beauty. Really smell the pine, the Christmas tea, the cookies. Really feel the fur of the dog or the warmth of your robe. Really listen to the songs and the sounds of this season. Life is made up of these very small moments in which we can choose to delight. Do it. What we all want is to really enjoy life and you can do that every single moment. What can you enjoy right now as you read this? That you have a nice warm sweater on? That you have a cup of hot, dark coffee in your hand? That you can see a funny, cheery snowman lit up outside your window? That you important, fulfilling work to do? That you can smile and make someone feel better? You have millions of blessings you can name this very instant. You can be grateful. You can choose to be content and happy and optimistic. If those are things you want, you can have them. Right this moment.
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34
