The idea of living in the present has been on my mind for a few weeks, but it intensified over the last week with the extreme disaster of the overwhelming flooding of thousands of homes and businesses in Louisiana. A million emotions rushed over the countless individuals that either watched from television screens, Facebook feeds, or simply encountered the flood waters first hand in the most devastating way. My home went untouched and for that I'm incredibly grateful, but there was this unsettling feeling I experienced that was unique to the timing of this storm hitting last weekend. You see, my husband and I were already scheduled to leave for vacation to visit my family in Wisconsin only days after the weekend of the most intense flooding Louisiana has ever seen. Had I not chosen to live in the present, I could've ruined what was supposed to be a precious time with my family who I only get to see twice a year. My heart was torn as I considered all the work yet to be done in assisting those affected by the flood, but where my physical hands couldn't be, my heart was. Not long into our vacation I felt such an unction to intercede for specific families and areas that were affected, the feeling could not be ignored. It was in the few moments I found myself alone in a part of my parents house, that I called on God to deliver strength, endurance, and hope to the people of Louisiana.
Prayer is by no means powerless, and I almost chose to believe that although I couldn't physically be there, that I was letting everyone in my community down. God is taking everyone near and far and empowering and guiding them to help in ways that He knows they're able. The devil can try to belittle and deter your helpful response, and try to make you believe it's not enough. With whatever your contribution (praying, donating items, serving of your time, etc), you have to realize you are a part of a unity that is unprecedented in this country right now. It is such an encouragement that speaks volumes of what pure love can do.
I can't fully put myself into the shoes of those that have lost everything to this flood, but I assume that the choice of living in the present is both a scary and difficult thing. As photos are lost, possessions are ruined, and life has to restart, the strength they need to sort through the mess, isn't just physical, it's emotional. I pray that God can guide them to a place of resting in the present. God has been, is, and always will be good, and however we can find His goodness for each day, no matter how tragic, that is what hope looks like. Hope is saying that there is trust for better days ahead, but knowing that regardless, God will supply your need for this day, this moment, this present circumstance.
Some of you reading this may live no where near the south and be so detached from the idea of flooding, but it's not just natural disasters that make us face this decision of do I live in the present or do I worry about the future, or long for the past? And please don't misinterpret this, there are times in which reminiscing in the past is therapeutic and healing. A real life example of that was highlighted during this very trip. A good friend of mine that I used to work with in my hometown recently suffered a great loss. Her younger brother, only 19 years of age, died in a car accident on Friday, August 19th. The fond memories she shared in the past with her brother was one thing that has instilled comfort in the face of tragedy. My heart breaks for her and her family, and I pray God brings peace as they take it one day at a time.
When our past is trying to operate and dictate our present in an unhealthy way, sometimes it's because we let it. We can revel in it too long to the point at which we are paralyzed to move forward. That can be with hurts from people, missed opportunities, and even unresolved conflict. Sometimes we can be too scared to fail and our future looks just as scary as our past. That's not healthy either. God has and I believe will continue to teach us how to truly balance our lives in not only thought and deed, but also our perception. It's my desire to understand what it means to learn from the past, stay steadfast in the present, and be trusting in the future.
I hope this sparks something in whoever you happen to be and wherever you find yourself in life right now. It's a daily choice to live in the present, and although it isn't easy, it's a choice that we will ultimately benefit from. My prayer for everyone reading is that you seek out what those daily choices look like uniquely for you, and that you face them with confidence, knowing God is ever present and faithful to meet your needs, from the past all the way to the future.
As a resource to continue on this thought, I encourage you to look into the YouVersion devotional entitled 'Savor' by Shauna Niequest. And I also look forward to diving into her book "Present over Perfect" in the near future.
Love y'all,
Audrey
Some of you reading this may live no where near the south and be so detached from the idea of flooding, but it's not just natural disasters that make us face this decision of do I live in the present or do I worry about the future, or long for the past? And please don't misinterpret this, there are times in which reminiscing in the past is therapeutic and healing. A real life example of that was highlighted during this very trip. A good friend of mine that I used to work with in my hometown recently suffered a great loss. Her younger brother, only 19 years of age, died in a car accident on Friday, August 19th. The fond memories she shared in the past with her brother was one thing that has instilled comfort in the face of tragedy. My heart breaks for her and her family, and I pray God brings peace as they take it one day at a time.
When our past is trying to operate and dictate our present in an unhealthy way, sometimes it's because we let it. We can revel in it too long to the point at which we are paralyzed to move forward. That can be with hurts from people, missed opportunities, and even unresolved conflict. Sometimes we can be too scared to fail and our future looks just as scary as our past. That's not healthy either. God has and I believe will continue to teach us how to truly balance our lives in not only thought and deed, but also our perception. It's my desire to understand what it means to learn from the past, stay steadfast in the present, and be trusting in the future.
I hope this sparks something in whoever you happen to be and wherever you find yourself in life right now. It's a daily choice to live in the present, and although it isn't easy, it's a choice that we will ultimately benefit from. My prayer for everyone reading is that you seek out what those daily choices look like uniquely for you, and that you face them with confidence, knowing God is ever present and faithful to meet your needs, from the past all the way to the future.
As a resource to continue on this thought, I encourage you to look into the YouVersion devotional entitled 'Savor' by Shauna Niequest. And I also look forward to diving into her book "Present over Perfect" in the near future.
Love y'all,
Audrey