In the Moments....

     Years ago we were blessed to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park.  I had never seen mountains of such grandeur.   The sights took my breath away.   Red tailed foxes, elk grazing in fields, picturesque views, all displayed the splendor of His Majesty.  Taking it slow around the curvy roads allowed you to savor what was in your eyes’ gaze, never knowing what that might be.

     Many days I’ve lived life looking out on the horizon.  All I could see is where I wanted to go.  In the process I lost sight of living in the moments.  God signatures in my life were left unseen as my eyes fixed on what lay ahead.

     Why is it we live to map out our lives?  What is it about planning ahead, finding our purpose, figuring things out that is so alluring to us?  We need purpose statements, visions, plans to make our lives work.  Why is there so much emphasis on figuring it all out?  In our need for structure could it be that somehow we end up boxing God out or in?

     Why can’t the vision of “I want to know you, and the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your sufferings” be enough?  Why isn’t it enough to know that He will lead us on the unfamiliar paths, showing us the way to go.. you know, don’t turn to the right or the left, here’s the way walk in it.”  Why are we more stimulated with having a plan than waiting to be led along the unfamiliar path?  Unfamiliar means we don’t have a clue.  It has to be revealed.  Why then do we spend our days trying to figure it all out?

     Throughout scripture people lived in the moments without plans.  Moses was herding sheep in the wilderness when God showed up in a fiery bush.  Abraham was living life with Isaac when God tells him to go to Mt. Moriah.  Joseph was a prisoner when the prison cell opened, releasing him to be the second most powerful man in Egypt.  Mary, a young virgin was living as a teenager when an angel showed up to tell her she will bear the life of the Son of God.  

     Not one of those people had a 5 year plan, purpose statement, or even a vision for their lives.  Not one of them had their lives mapped out.  None of them imagined the unfamiliar path God had lined up.  They were available and alert when God showed up in all His splendor, to reveal the plans.

     In this day and age I believe we have lost sight of living in the moments, depending on God to show up with the next step of our journey.  We live for the destination, seeing where we need to get to.  We box God in or out, limiting Him to our pictures, and plans, our need for security through structure.  But He and He alone is our security.  Why don’t we trust Him enough to wait in the moments?

     I wonder what it would look like to awaken each day to live in the moments with God with no idea of what that looked like.  What would it look like to live every day without a plan, other than to follow, know and love Him? Would we find ourselves right where we were always meant to be?  Would our senses be sharper because of the need to be alert?

       It’s quite simple really.  Jesus told us about it in Matthew.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will be added.  Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.  Live in the moment, seize the day.  His ways are higher than our ways.  He knows the plans.  He’s got them.

  

      Living in the moments, allows me to see the one, true God in all His splendor.  Much like that drive in Estes Park, untold beauty unfolds as He shows up at just the right instant to guide me to His planned destination.  He is a wild God with a wild sense of adventure.   The more I live without my plans, the more I see of Him.  

     He waits for me to seek Him, know Him, love Him.  He waits to show off His splendor to me.  He waits to lead me on the unfamiliar paths of life, allowing His plans for me to unfold.  Will I wait for Him in the moments?  Will you?

     O Taste and see that the Lord is good;  How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8