Present Tense Living, Part 2
Erasing the “ought to have” and the “if only” aspects of our lives is important. One writer puts it this way, “but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind me, I strain forward to what lies ahead of me.” The advice given is universal, crossing all religious boundaries. To forget what is behind is the best way to face today.
Henri Nouwen writes, “SO many things have happened in our lives about which we feel uneasy, regretful, angry, confused or ambivalent. And all these feelings are often colored by guilt. Guilt that says: ‘You ought to have done…..’ or ‘You ought to have said…..’” The result is that we cannot be fully present in the moment because we are holding on to past feelings that obscure our living in the moment.
The same is true of our “if only” moments. When we are wondering things like “What if the stock market plunges even more?” we are contemplating things beyond our control. We can end up missing the beauty that surrounds us.
Each of us has this moment, this day to be present and attentive to our inner voice, our work, each other. Be alert friends, the One who is, is present right now.
A prayer: God, help me to discover you right here, right now! Amen.
Ben Keckler
08.05.08
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