Breathe. That's right. Take a slow, deep breath. Do it now before you read ahead.
Don't think about yesterday. Don't worry about tomorrow. Simply enjoy the pleasure and beauty of this moment.
Do you waste time thinking or worrying about the troubles of tomorrow or the mistakes of yesterday?
I do.
I chronically have difficulty spending my days in the here and now. I spend way too much time thinking about what I should have or could have done differently or I worry about how I'm going to manage something that feels terrifying and is rushing at me from the future.
Something I did last night is a perfect example. I have a sweet puppy, called Misty. She's six months old and well house trained, but she decided she doesn't like the rain and no matter how much we coaxed her, she refused to go outdoors. So, instead of finding an outside place to do her duty she chose what she thought was a perfect place indoors. I knew immediately - you can't conceal that smell. In my haste to teach her and to get her outside I partially picked her up. I should never do that. My back does not like it when I lift anything over ten pounds, especially when I'm bent over.
Ouch! I went to bed worrying about what today would bring.
This morning I awoke, still fearful and wondering what would happen when I moved or tried to stand up. Would I face a day with excess pain? I could feel my heart rate increase and my muscles tense at the thought.
At that moment, I needed to stop my fearful imaginings. So . . . what if I had extra pain today? It's not something new. I've been through it lots of times . . . and lived. And I have medication that helps. And I will get better.
As it turns out, I do have more pain today, but I'm getting along just fine. I'm going to be fine. Worrying and being fearful is not helpful. In fact it makes things worse because stress makes my muscles more tense.
So this day is one more day of learning . . . from experience. And it's okay. But to harangue myself over a mistake I made yesterday is not okay. And worrying about what the future and what it holds for me is also not okay. When I do that I miss out on the beauty and pleasure of today. God has been teaching me this lesson over and over, only because I can't seem to get it.
John 10:10 says, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them (that's us) a rich and satisfying life."
If I take into account another verse from Matthew 6:34, which says, So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today," I can see that I'm a thief. I'm robbing myself of the rich and satisfying life God wants to give me.
I'm shaking my head (once more). When will I learn?
I'm still a work in progress, but progress is the key word. I am making headway. That is a good thing.
Today is gorgeous. Sunshine is peeking through the clouds. The earth is damp and smells delicious from the weekend's rain. I am surrounded by a loving family. And I'm pushing forward on a new book. Plus . . . well there's lots more blessings in my life, things to be thankful for and to enjoy right here, right now.
So, I've decided I'm not going to spend any more time worrying about my back. I'm just going to enjoy the day God has given me. How about you? What's precious about today? About this moment?
Grace and peace to you from God,
Bonnie
