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Thursday, August 29, 2013

The gift of right now

By Nancy Shuman




File:Cole Thomas The Present 1838.jpg
The Present by Cole Thomas (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons).



Last night I had what I would call an "awakening." Feeling that I've given too little time to God over the course of my life, too little time to prayer, too much time to trivialities, I experienced a different reaction than I've had to such thoughts in the past.

Rather than my usual "woe is me, I've wasted too much time, I'll never 'make up for it..,'" last night I felt a gentle whisper of hope.  If I could put it into a sentence, it was as if I sensed the words: "but you have right now."

I have right now.  Knowing this in a kind of "flash," I realized that I could not turn back the clock and re-live minutes of years ago, last week, or even yesterday morning.  However, I had the moment of right then.  I could pray at that very instant, talking spontaneously to God, and I did so.  I could choose anew to live for Christ, in that moment, and I did so.

I have forgotten to pray more often than I'd like to admit during the course of my life; sometimes I find prayer a struggle.  But in each moment, I am given a new opportunity.  A fresh, shining, precious chance to at least speak to God when I think of Him.  A moment in which I can connect with Him, offer a word of thanks or praise; a moment in which I can start anew.

"Every moment comes to us pregnant with a command from God, only to pass on and plunge into eternity, there to remain forever what we have made it."  (St. Francis de Sales)

I have Right Now.

Nancy originally posted this on her blog  The Breadbox Letters.

7 comments:

  1. I have a friend who is a Permanent Deacon. His business card says, "FOCUS!"

    He quotes the following, "Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, all we have is the Gift of Now and that is why it is called the Present."

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  2. Nancy...so needed this right NOW! LOL! Thank you for reminding me of the present and to stop looking behind me.

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  3. This is right where I'm at in my spiritual life too. Thanks for your beautiful reflection.

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  4. Great post, Nancy! Right now is technically the only time that exists. Heaven lives in the perpetual now since there is no time there so it's good for us to follow suit!

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  5. Thank you all very much! I love being reminded that now is the only time that exists... much hope in that!

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