“For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place. And also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit; To revive57:15 the spirit of the humble and to revive the spirit the contrite. Isaiah 57:15
I know this: there are things that only God can achieve. That doesn’t stop is time us from trying to achieve them on our own. Secure our own future. Save the world. We seem to spend half our time dwelling on past mistakes and poking at old wounds to see if they still hurt. The other half of the time we spend either plotting for desirable futures or worrying about undesirable ones. And since we’re not God, the time we spend in the past and future is time we’re not spending in the here and now. God can mastermind the future while noting the fall of every sparrow, but the time we spend focused on the past is time we’re not noticing our children, our spouse, or the best of our own heart. So today, let’s commit not to be God. Let’s commit to not even try. Let’s commit to being in the present, at least for a while. For half an hour today, let’s do nothing but notice where we are now, to look for the gifts of God in the moment we’re inhabiting instead of the ones we’re not. I will breathe, I will inhabit the here and now, I will be human, and I will be grateful.
My Lenten Prayer: God, you may inhabit eternity, but I can only manage one moment at a time. Let that moment be the one I’m in. Amen
