Living in the Moment
A few months ago, a dear friend died three weeks after a cancer diagnosis. The sudden, unexpected death reminded me that everything can change in the blink of an eye.
Life is fleeting. When Jim was diagnosed with cancer, I thought I had thoroughly assimilated this fact and would never again take life and good health for granted. Yet, as years have passed and I've adjusted to the new normal, sudden death still catches me off guard.
I have become so used to living with cancer that I sometimes forget to be grateful for each and every day God has given me.
All of us are living on borrowed time. God doesn't owe us anything. Every good thing we have is a gift from Him who loved us enough to give us life and, more importantly, to give us eternal life. Everything can be taken from us at any time–except our soul which is in His keeping, in the bank where, unlike our earthly treasures, it is protected from deflation, loss, and theft.
One of cancer's gifts is the realization of life's uncertainty and the resulting appreciation of each morning's sunrise. The trick is how to stay fully aware of life's brevity without becoming wary, watchful, and worried.
The answer is to stay in the moment, to abide in Him, and, as Brother Lawrence teaches, to "practice the presence of God." Awareness of our mortality allows us to engage fully in our present world. Understanding our immortality keeps us free from worry.
No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but when we are in Christ Jesus,
"We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2 Corinthians: 4:16
No comments:
Post a Comment