"Can't go back to the beginning,
Can't control what tomorrow will bring.
But I know here in the middle
Is the place where you promise to be."
Elevation Worship
When we sang the words of this popular worship song at church last Sunday, the words "in the middle" struck a chord in my heart. I so often think of the past with melancholy or regret. On the other hand, the future can usher in anxiety and stress. Why is it so difficult for us to live fully present in the middle?
I don't know that there is just one clear cut answer to that question, but I do know that for me, there is always a pull to have more, to do more, to be more. But what if I could just "Be"?
Just "being" is a struggle for me, and even as I write these words, I realize that I am not practicing what I preach. It is exhausting. So this is for me as much as it is for you. As we are thrust into a busy holiday season and I want to encourage you (and myself) with some words from my book Victorious Heart.
Be Present. I've found it helpful to be intentional about scheduling brief moments throughout my day to stop and take in the beauty of now. During those times, I turn off the noise, even music and just listen. I purposely allow my senses to take in what is around me. Because I love to be out in nature, if the weather is cooperating, I will try to go outside. I live in Tennessee, so my favorite time to do this is in the summer months about 7:45 p.m. The fireflies are starting to come out as the sun is going down. I call it the magic hour. I walk down our long driveway and take in God's magical display.
We are not always in a beautiful setting and able to enjoy the magic hour, but we can be present wherever we are. It may be in the smile of a child or a flower at the edge of a sidewalk. Something else may speak to you, but the important thing is to stop and take in where you are. Soak in now.
There is a beautiful healing that comes with living fully present here in the middle. Our souls can begin to breath.