We went home to see the folks for Thanksgiving. We had a nice, but short trip home. It’s always good to visit and to hear how your family members are doing. It’s also great to enjoy all the delicious Thanksgiving food. It seems like all I did over Thanksgiving break was eat; not that there is anything wrong with that.
Sometimes I feel pulled in multiple directions when I travel to see my family. I want to spend time with my mother and my sister and I also want to spend time with my in-laws. Sometimes I deal well with this pressure and other times I do not. My mother and I talked about how difficult it is to be going in different directions; it seems that no one is really happy with you. Each family member wants to spend more time with you and time is limited.
My brother taught me a great lesson in relationship to this type of dilemma. He taught me that you have to live in the moment; to enjoy what you have or are given. It’s like making the most of the time you get to spend together instead of wasting your time together wishing you had more of it.
My brother is great at making memories and doing memorable things while you are together. At his house, that means you will probably play some kind of competitive game.
I believe it’s hard to live in the moment. We are always thinking or worrying about other things that we have to do. We are distracted because we lead such busy lives.
Everyone talks about multitasking and trying to get things accomplished so we spend our time rushing around and we end up missing the thing we are doing at the moment. Most of us find it difficult to slow down and enjoy life.
God taught us by example when He created the world that it is important to work hard, but it is also important to know how to slow down and enjoy life.
Remember the Bible says that on the seventh day God rested from all his labor. I don’t know about you, but I am guilty of working or staying busy every day of the week at times. It’s not healthy and keeps us from living in the moment.
We are right in the middle of the holiday season and most of us find ourselves rushing home from work to get things done. There are cards to sign and mail, the decorations need to be put up both inside and out, there is cooking to be done, shopping for everyone on your list, and then all the family gathering and parties that you have to attend.
How do you live in the moment and yet get everything done by Dec. 24?
The key is learning how to enjoy every part of whatever you are doing at the moment. Live within the limits of what you are given and try to control your tendency toward worry.
Banish discouragement from your mind and keep it from stealing your joy. When your thoughts are leading down the wrong path, stop and consider all the things for which you are thankful.
Remind yourself of the goodness of God.
Each moment offers us an opportunity to choose. Will we choose to enjoy this moment or will we waste it on worry? Will you choose to enjoy this moment with family and friends or will you lose it because you are wishing you had something more? Will you allow discouragement to steal the opportunity this moment has to offer you?
God has given us a choice about our attitudes, our thoughts, and whether we will live life to its fullest. Jesus had a lot of demands put upon His time, but He met each person and gave them His full attention. He enjoyed life and lived each moment to its fullest. He took advantage of every opportunity and lived without regrets.
I want to encourage you to learn how to live in the moment. The holidays will test you, but I believe we can overcome the mistakes of the past so we can enjoy this holiday season.
Personally, I want to make the right choice and experience all that God has for me today. I know that tomorrow will bring a whole new set of issues and problems, but I want to learn to live and enjoy today.
We can all learn to live in the present and experience the presence of God while we are living in the moment.
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Doug Creamer teaches Marketing at East Davidson High School. His Web site is www.dougcreamer.com He is the author of two books, “Encouraging Thoughts” and “The Bluebird Café.” Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or e-mail dougcreamerbooks@yahoo.com.