That’s quite a confession, isn’t it? I may as well admit to disliking puppies.
Slowing down, living in the moment, appreciating the ordinary gifts of each ordinary hour: those aspirations have become a kind of religion. Widely admired if less widely achieved.
Like most religions, I suppose, there’s a commendable seed of truth. I do believe that the moment matters. Of what else is our life composed? Whether I’m considering growing children or changing seasons, I want to notice. To appreciate. To pause and give thanks.
And yet, I wonder … why do we find this so difficult? Why is there always something inside of us looking ahead, peering around the bend? Why the inner voice always asking “what’s next”?
I think this voice won’t ever fully let us go because we are not living in some eternal moment. We long for that. We dream of it, but we don’t inhabit it. Not yet, anyway.
Our lives are journeys. Our lives are stories. There are beginnings and endings, narrative lulls and cliffhangers. Mountains and valleys.
To look ahead, to anticipate all that’s yet to come … this is the substance of faith. This is the shape of Christian spirituality.
We pick up our crosses and follow One worth following.
We run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
We strain our eyes looking for promised lands, for God’s kingdom breaking in, for creation made new.
The moment may be good. It may be very, very good. But we know that we’ve been promised even more.
Glorious anticipation.
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
You’ve said so well what I so often feel. Thanks for your words and your heart!
Thank you, Aimee!
Hi, Christie! I just wanted to say that everytime I read what you wrote, I am so touched and so challenged. You have such a gift with words. Have you ever thought about writing a devotional or anything like that? I would definitely buy it if you did!
I really hope you all are doing well:)
Thanks for your encouraging words, Heidi! I’m so glad to know that you’re here reading. As for my writing in the future – only God knows! But I have felt him calling me away from the academic work I always planned and into something … very different. Hence, this blog. Time will tell, I suppose. 🙂
you may as well admit to disliking puppies…hahaha
i loved this post. loved it, needed it. thanks 🙂
Ha! I’ll never admit to that, Kelli. Well, at least not so long as the puppies are very small and very unslobbery. 🙂