I am doing a long, long study of where I have been and where I am going these days. It takes a great deal of effort to stop long enough to listen to the One who knows better than I. He knows where I began. And only He REALLY knows where we are headed and why. My job is to listen and follow. And to enjoy the double-edged sword of Right Now. This sword has on one side the reality of today and on the other side the plan for tomorrow.
The Present can be deceiving for us. I am, and perhaps you are too, always looking to the future. But Right Now matters. What we are living through, learning from, what we invest in and shake off, all this matters to Him, to us, to the people around us. Are we clearly seeing God’s provision and hope in the middle of our lives in the moment?
Right Now also matters for the future. We know by faith that God uses everything to prepare and equip us for His greater good. That’s where the double-edged sword comes in. Right Now matters for the experience and lessons, for the building of history and intimacy, for the season we are in. And Right Now is also seed and training for the life we live with God and others later on. He really doesn’t waste anything. Do you?
There is a great deception that sweeps over us called “if only.” It saps the life and heart out of your Right Now and ultimately your future. He is our hope. He is our life. He is.
Enjoy this song that God gave to me a few weeks ago. I heard it over an intercom and scribbled down the lyrics on a napkin. This morning I found it on my desk and it was a balm for my soul. This is the beauty of Right Now. It was being aware in the moment (three weeks ago) that God used to strengthen me today. Enjoy the Right Now in His arms.
Safe in Your Arms
Paula Cole/Greg Phillinganes
Sometimes I’m too bold for my own good,
I go out swinging hard and fast.
This world is beating me broken.
I need a home to rest.
Too quick in the first round,
Too slow in the second,
Now I’m here in the third,
And I need your attention.
I wanna be safe in your arms,
I wanna be safe in your arms,
I wanna be safe in your arms,
Safe in our home,
Safe in our land,
Safe in our world,
Safe in your arms.
It don’t matter how strong I think I am,
I always need another heart,
To bind me to the moment.
To help me see myself.
Alive in the fourth round,
Collapsed in the fifth,
Now I’m here in the sixth,
And I need your belief.
I wanna be safe in your arms,
I wanna be safe in your arms,
I wanna be safe in your arms,
Safe in our home,
Safe in our land,
Safe in our world,
Safe in your arms.
I think you summed up a lot of where I am at. So much going on. I want to be in the moment, enjoying the moment, living and yet find myself thinking about the past, present and what the future holds. I realize we can’t change the past but we can learn from it which can affect our present and future. I don’t want to miss anything. I want to see how God is working in and around me and how it’s preparing me for the future. Tough tension!