Wherever you are, be there.
My amazing big sister, Kyrie Barr, once told me this quote. “Wherever you are, be there.” Just think about that for a moment.
- Where are you right now? …at home? …at work?
- Where is your mind right now? …going over plans? …checking off your to-do list?
- Where is your heart right now? …thinking about some ol’ boy or girl? …worrying about everything in life?
Life gets crazy sometimes. We get distracted by a world of different things. We lose our focus. But this is not the way it’s supposed to be. We were created for the here and now. We were intended to live in the moment.
Once again, God always knows precisely what I need to hear at the exact moment in which I should hear it. The sermon at church yesterday was about “living in the moment.” Ha. Yeah. About that. So to start it off, we watched a clip from Kung Fu Panda…check it out here >>>Kung Fu Panda
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow’s a mystery. But today is a gift…that’s why it’s called the present.
So, I’m here in Thailand…teaching…and living. I’m settled down and all into my routine of work, gym, church, etc. But is my heart really here? No. Sure, the homesickness is subsiding (finally)…but if I’m completely honest with myself, I have to confess that I left my heart in the States. I try so hard to stay focused on what I’m doing here, but when I really don’t even know exactly what my purpose is, I get easily distracted. Sure, I’m here to teach…and “serve God” but what kind of a lame Sunday School answer is that?! I was always that kid in Sunday School who made fun of the other kid who answered “Jesus” for every question. I’ve never been one to just go with the surface, generic answers…not that Jesus is surface or generic, I’ve just always wanted to go deeper. I kinda wish I had more of a “child-like faith” when it comes to that. But it is what it is I guess…now back to my point. Sure, I’m here to teach and serve God…but I hate the broadness of that statement. I want to know specific ways that God wants me to serve Him. I want to know the exact things that he expects of me while I’m here. When I feel like I’m just here pointlessly floating around, that’s when my mind and my heart get distracted with things back home. Wow I’m rambling.
So…what is it that holds you back from living in the moment? Is it the past? Or is the future? For me, it’s both. My heart gets so caught up in the past, remembering the way things used to be and the what-might-have-beens, that I can’t concentrate on the present. And my mind gets so distracted with future plans and what-ifs, that I stare right past it. It’s as if my heart and mind are cameras that are incapable of focusing, so every picture of the present turns out blurry, and the gift that I have right in front of me is ruined. It’s tragic, really.
When you were a kid, you probably counted down the days to Christmas…to Summer Break…to your birthday. Many of us still do this. I know I have several countdown widgets on my computer and my iPod. But people. This isn’t good. We get so caught up in the countdowns that we begin wishing our lives away. It’s impossible to live in the moment when we find ourselves so concerned and distracted with the next big event in our lives. I’m the Queen of Countdown. You should have seen me before graduation. I was a total wreck!!! I was so focused on the number of days that I had left in freaking Cleveland, Tennessee that I allowed many special moments to slip right through my fingers. Now, I’m finding myself doing the same thing here. I catch myself worrying about things back home or getting caught up in some random flurry of emotions that I end up missing out on the moment…this moment…in Bangkok, Thailand.
Living in the moment is a constant struggle for me. So, I hate to disappoint, but I have no answer for this. I’ve come up with no solution to this dilemma. My answer is JESUS. Yeah I said it…I’m that kid right now. When it comes to focusing, and my heart and mind refuse to cooperate…the one thing that’s always a good choice to place at the center of my spiritual viewfinder is Jesus. I feel like whenever I’m focused on Him, everything else becomes a little less blurry. I keep praying to see things the way God sees them. I want to see people and situations through His eyes. I can’t do this if my eyes are continually wondering and checking out other things that don’t align with His will for my life.
So, here’s to living in the moment. May God help you focus your lives on what He has right in front of you…
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
Yeah…I’m leaving you hanging on this one. Put that in ya pipe and smoke it…
I’m out. //Cwalk.
This entry was posted onMonday, June 7th, 2010 at 9:36 am and is filed under Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Ok girl – Do I have a little bit to share with you and I’m gonna do my best to “keep it short”.
I went to a fair trade party tonight at Jenifer Riddle’s house. We learned some new info about sexual slavery around the world and how we can combat it by simply buying bags, blankets, cool trinkets all made by women who have been rescued out of this horrible lifestyle.
Long story SHORT…. During the evening I shared about the experience you had in Thailand earlier this year and the “boy shows”.
God is so funny sometimes…. I’m looking through at different things on the table all marked with where they were made (country, etc). I pick up a neat bracelet, and what does the card attached to it say? I will quote, “Red Light Rescue Jewelry – Thailand” – Boys and Girls are used as sex workers against their wills in the sex tourism of Asia. Rescued victims made this jewelry and are building a new life. Thank you for praying for them & for choosing to use your buying power or provide for them.” http://www.abbahousefoundation.com
ABBA House Foundation is located in Chiang Mai. So…some food for thought. Check out their website (which brought me to tears – for both the rescued and the ones still trapped). Maybe while you’re over in Thailand you could visit. On the contact page, it has their address and phone number in Chiang Mai.
I love you and am praying for you. Every time I look at the bracelet on my wrist, I pray for the reasons that God knows you’re there. HUGS!
This is a wonderful reminder for all of us, child o’ mine! You may not know the specifics of why you are there, but He certainly is revealing amazing things to you in the process. His plan is so much bigger and better than our plans – I’m sure He has a reason for you to be feeling like you are – one thing is for sure, it’s keeping you focused on Him and it’s building your faith. You signed up for His class and I’m guessing you were hoping for an agenda for the year – obviously, that’s not gonna happen. Just keep seeking Him one day at a time, and I’m sure He’ll provide an agenda or something when He thinks it is needed. I love you girl!
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Slow down. Stop trying to analyze everything. God will reveal when HE knows you are ready.
You are already doing his will through your blog impacts. Lives are being touched.
Love you!