Most of us have heard the phrase, “Live in the moment.” But what does that even mean? This morning my mind was wandering and I was gazing off into a staring stupor as I was washing my feet. I have this weird thing about my feet. I like them to be clean at all times. And it’s summer. And I was wearing flip flops. No judgery. Anyway, I was in a daze thinking about different things...my future, my past, things that happened long ago, what I’m going to do, what I’m wearing today - before I was stopped in my thoughts. How can I live in this moment? Instead of just simply getting through my boring, typical morning routine, how can I appreciate what’s happening in this exact moment?
I began to look at the water. The way it was falling over my feet. I thought, wow! This is pretty cool. Water looks so pretty, I had never appreciated how pretty it looked over my freshly painted toes. How clear it was. How something so clear can be so nourishing. What seems like nothing could actually keep us alive and our hearts beating. I smelled the soap. It smelled amazing. I felt grateful I can smell beautiful smells.
I got in the van and appreciated that moment, too! How the van I drive is so cool. It’s like luxury on wheels on my way to a nice paying job where my boss is a great person. I get to ride to work in luxury in a free country, in a beautiful city not presently destroyed by fires and hurricanes.
How the grass was so green in the middle of September. How the sprinklers just came on magically and fell on top of the green grass so gracefully. How the sun warmed my skin. The thought of being able to feel water and sun on my skin in the same hour. How the air I breathed in felt so fresh, compared to other states I’ve been to. How amazing my husband looked this morning as I left the house. How blessed I am to have him. The list was endless once I got going! I just couldn’t believe how lucky and blessed I am to be living the life I’m living. That my kids are healthy and well. I sent them a message on their little devices to tell them I love them and I hope they have a great day.
All the cliches you hear on a regular basis that often times we give no value to, are all wrapped up in this blog today. The thing is, I used to say, “Well good for you. Must be nice. I've tried. I hate my life. I hate how I feel. Why am I on this stupid earth anyway? Why did I struggle so much growing up? Where was God? Why was my childhood so bad? When is Jesus coming? Why can’t my kids behave? Why is my husband so insensitive? This isn't fair!
You're right. It's not fair at all. We didn't ask to be here. It's making most of us crazy. It's heartbreaking, savage, misery, and guess what? It's okay to cry and mourn it all. But wouldn't it be cool if we could think about how water feels against our skin instead of how Selfish Sarah pissed us off last week? Or about that mistake you made when you were 12? Or stress about how you're going to pay for the kid's braces next month? Although these are very real things that affect us, we can train ourselves how and what to think.
One of my favorite quotes is by C.S. Lewis. “This moment contains all moments.” How true that statement is. Why wait and yearn for the next better or best moment? You can enjoy the one you are in now. Every day. Every moment. There are things we can and definitely should appreciate. The God of the Universe responds to the grateful mindset. Change your thoughts, change your life. Approach the cheesy cliches with newness and humility. I promise, it works. It takes repetition and boldness, patience and courage. But over time, you will experience a life you never dreamed was possible.
