Living in the Present

Sometimes life happens, plans change, and focus gets diverted to something more immediate.  In this case it was the stomach bug.  Details are not necessary.  Just remember that the time change is a big enough adjustment to the schedule of two, 7-year olds, a 2 ½ year old, a 37 and 39 year old.  In the midst of this time adjustment, you add a dental procedure for a beloved 10-year old shih tzu resulting in the loss of most his teeth AND well…..life went into maintenance mode.  It should also be noted that kids bounce back from stomach bugs faster than mommies.  I was wiped out!

In maintenance mode, my focus becomes on the most immediate needs.  A sick child, dirty linens, sanitized hands, and rest.  The lengthy “to-do” list is put on hold and I quickly find myself living in the moment.  Typically, “in the moment” is a hard place for me to find myself.  I like to execute my well, planned calendar blocks and weekly menus.  I like control, order, structure, and routine.  But throw-up is a sure way to get me in the moment. 

Jesus speaks of living in the moment when he encourages followers to replace worry with seeking God’s kingdom.  Jesus asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”  This rhetorical question reminds me that we all operate with the same number of daily hours and that focusing on my plan will not lengthen my life and it could very well inhibit my life because it keeps me looking towards the next moment and not appreciating the present. 

Don’t get me wrong I don’t like throw-up and don’t like the lesson it teaches me, but like nothing else, IT forces me into the present.  I spent last week living in the present.  I do not believe God gave us the stomach virus to teach me this lesson, rather I believe that through it I was reminded and that perhaps my present reminder was part of my Lenten journey this year.  To see that my schedule sometimes gets in the way and diverts my attention away from seeking God’s kingdom.  In fact, maybe control is just the place where I need to let go.