April 21 - Matthew 6:31-34

April 21 - Matthew 6:31-34

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

One common catch phrase today is that we should “live in the present.”  That is what Jesus is teaching us in this passage. My mother used to tell me not to worry the day away, implying that I was missing out on so many things happening at the moment because I was focused on other things, whether they were occurrences from the past or anxieties regarding the future.

I read a study at some point (I can’t find it now to save my life) about how children’s perception of time is so different than that of an adult.  We know that.  As children we thought life passed by so slowly, we could hardly wait for events to happen; as adults it seems like the year snaps closed before we even realize what year it is. One of the reasons this was occurring was that children experience each event in their life and create memories around them.  Adults fly through the events in their lives, creating no memories.

That is true, there are about twenty years of my life that feel lost to me.  I was moving through the days and nights like an automaton, focused on the next thing I had to do rather than truly experiencing those things that were happening at the moment. I didn't create memories and I can’t say that I actually created much of anything that was worthwhile. My life from those years was a blur.

What if we were to focus on the moments in which we exist and create memories, acknowledging that they are important. What if, rather than complaining about lost days because they didn't occur exactly as we planned, or worrying about what is coming next, we just lived in the moment, enjoying the gift of life we have been given?