Living the Moment
“Count me in!” I replied after reading an invitation from my daughter Julie. She and her son and family wanted me to join them for a week-long getaway in Michigan in August. This would be a chance to see my grandson Noah, his wife May, and to meet their eighteen-month-old daughter Lavender.
I didn’t have to think about it for more than a second. This would be a time to treasure, to look back on for years to come, and for Lavender and I to get acquainted up close since we live miles apart.
That same day I read the following in a daily devotional from Father Richard Rohr, one of my beloved spiritual mentors. (cac.org)
“God puts us in a world of passing things where everything changes and nothing remains the same. The only thing that doesn’t change is change itself. It’s a hard lesson to learn. It helps us appreciate that everything is a gift. We didn’t create it. We don’t deserve it. It will not last, but while we breathe it in, we can enjoy it, and know that it is another moment of God, another moment of life. People who take this moment seriously take every moment seriously, and those are the people who are ready for heaven. If religion isn’t leading us into an eternal now, an eternal moment, an always-true moment, an always-love moment, then we have not lived the moment at all.”
So true. Living in the moment is all any of us can (and ‘should’) do. It’s what prompts me most of the time to say ‘yes’ to life regardless of the ‘stop signs’ that pop up. And they do pop up! 😆
YOU’RE TOO OLD TO TRAVEL.
YOU MIGHT SLOW EVERYONE DOWN.
YOU CAN’T WALK AS FAST AS YOU USED TO.
SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR EMERGENCIES.
WHAT IF YOU GET SICK WHILE AWAY FROM HOME?
blah, blah, blah
This time, though, just as quickly as the STOP signs popped up, I kicked them aside and replaced them with GO signs:
I’M JUST THE RIGHT AGE TO TRAVEL.
NO ONE CAN SLOW ME DOWN.
I’LL BRING MY WALKING STICKS SO I CAN KEEP UP.
I’LL SPEND SOME SAVINGS ON FAMILY GET-TOGETHERS WHILE I’M STILL HERE.
MY FAMILY WILL TAKE CARE OF ME IF I GET SICK. NO WORRIES THERE.
I’M GOING TO LIVE-IN-THE-MOMENT NO MATTER WHAT!
Do you have stop signs in your life? How do you handle them?
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)
Ok Karen, I soooo needed to hear this today. Thank you. I love this part of the Richard Rohr quote, “…People who take this moment seriously take every moment seriously, and those are the people who are ready for heaven.” love, Heidi
Thanks, Heidi. I’m so happy my blog was a blessing to you.
I’m so glad to read about your latest adventure with your family. Good for you to live “in the moment!” You are right about “Stop Signs.” As I get older, they seem to pop up more and more for me. This is a good reminder for me, too, to live in the moment and trust myself and trust God in all things!
Thanks, Glenda. I love hearing from you.
Awesome! Go girl Go! This reminded me of a couple of dear lady friends I had when I was thirty years old..Two of our church members were Annie and Jimmy.NOT RELATED and lived alone. Jimmy was the one who could still drive a car and she would call Annie and ask her if he wanted to go somewhere and before she could say anything else Annie would say:”what time will you be here?” Jimmy would drive to Annie’s honk the horn Annie would come out the door get in the car and say: “Where are we going?” Everyone loved them and we called them: Annie go and Jimmy go! I lost touch with them after we moved but they will never be forgotten . Enjoy your trip! Blessings and enjoy every moment. Margaret
Thanks, Margaret. I’ll share the details when I return. Glad to hear you had good friends who enjoyed living in the moment and being on the go. Special memories.
I DO live in the moment! What a wonderful post, Karen.
I know you do, Chloe. You are a beautiful example to so many, including me.
Thanks Karen, something for me to learn. I do live in the moment in some ways. God gave us moments at a time and they are precious. Learning to trust God in each moment is sometimes a challenge for me.
I imagine we are all challenged at one time or another to stay in the moment. But with God’s grace we can always return to the moment. Thanks for the reminder
One moment at a time is all we truly have. Thanks for inspiring us to make the most of them.
Glad you continue to enjoy yours Karen.
Smiles, BRC
Thanks, Beth. Always good to share our spiritual journey with one another.
Hi Karen, thank you for your words. I am getting ready to leave my home of 35 years in the fort wayne Indiana area to be near my daughter in indianapolis and nearer to my son in Lexington KY. Born and lived in northeastern Indiana. Talk about STOP signs. 🙂 change…emotions…facts. So hard to balance all of that. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment, Kristi. I hope your transition will be smooth. I moved from San Diego to the Santa Cruz area fifteen years ago to be close to my youngest, a daughter, and her family. So glad I did. It was a big adjustment at first, but now this is home.
Oh that’s exactly what I needed to hear today! Packing up boxes, what to keep what not to keep. Maybe it will be okay.
Wonderful transition of your thought processes, Karen. I’m so glad you decided to go on this trip and enjoy precious time with your family!
Thanks for your encouragement, Carol. 😊