Focusing On the Today

 Between amazing sermons, trying my best to spend time in God's word, and Bible studies that I attend, a common theme has overwhelmed me. Really it's something I've always thought about but I finally feel like I can put it into words. My mission. God's mission. What my role in this life will be. What BIG things does God have in store for me? The words "...I wish I knew how all my fears and all my questions are going to play out, In a world I can't control..." from Casting Crowns song 'Already There' continue to resurface in my mind. Night after night I continue to write down creative ideas of what organizations I could start, programs I could volunteer in, or businesses that will be the NEXT big thing. I continue to stress over the daily dilemmas that overwhelm many of us day after day and forget to focus on the moments before me. God spoke to me so clearly last night through reading a page in Sarah Young's Jesus Calling that I want to share it;

I am your Lord! Seek Me as Friend and Lover of your soul, but remember that I am also King of kings - sovereign over all. You can make plans as you gaze into the day that stretches out before you. But you need to hold those plans tentatively, anticipating that I may have other ideas. The most important thing to determine is what to do right now. Instead of scanning the horizon of your life, looking for things that need to be done, concentrate on the task before you and the One who never leaves your side. Let everything else fade into the background. This will unclutter your mind, allowing Me to occupy more and more of your consciousness. Trust Me to show you what to do when you have finished what you are doing now. I will guide you step by step, as you bend your will to Mine. Thus you stay close to Me on the path of Peace. (Proverbs 19:21; Luke 1:79)

Here's the picture of how I went a little overboard on underlining words or phrases that I felt God was clearly speaking directly to me in that moment.

You may also notice the date is May16th. I'm not very good at reading these types of books in order or reading them diligently every day, so this was the page I turned to last night.

We can make plans and I do daily. But I love how it is written that we should hold on to them tentatively, because sometimes (more times than I care to admit) God has different plans! I also find myself 'scanning the horizon' and looking at my endless 'to-do' list and wonder what else needs to get done in the coming weeks and months. I like making lists. I like writing in my calendar. But God wants us to look at today and the tasks at hand. Recently I was listening to this sermon "How to Love the Mud" by Steven Furtick and I love how he describes how we should love the mud of today, because without mud or the messiness of life there wouldn't be the miracles and the blessings. One particular thing that touched me was that he said our endless to do list will never get done because we aren't dead. I love that. Maybe because I find myself getting frustrated that many things on my list of to do's don't get done these days, sometimes there are days that not one task gets checked off. BUT I'm still living so there will always be something to do. And I not only want to love the mud but I want others to love their mud, too. As Steven Furtick said, no mess (or mud) no ministry. So cool.

I think it's good to make plans, I think God likes that we make plans, but I think it becomes a problem when we obsess over our plans or the lack of them for the future. I think we get so caught up in the busyness of life we forget about what is right in front of us. I think that our eyes, my eyes, need to be opened to what is going on right in front of me, today. Not only so that I don't miss an opportunity and am available to fulfill my mission for today, but so I can continue to take each step in sync with God. Our sermons at church have challenged us not only to DO something but to BE something, and  my mistake falls in with all my ideas and dreaming. I dream and dream and dream of doing something someday instead of being something today. I don't know exactly what my life long mission will be, I don't know if I will ever know on this earth. I do know that I can continue to pray for God to reveal what he wants me doing today and to direct my path. The hard part is going to be me trusting him daily and following where he leads. I like control. I like my lists and plans. This will be a  challenge for me. So I'll leave you with the lyrics of this song:


Casting Crowns, Already There lyrics:

From where I'm standing
Lord it's so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You're leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can't control

Oh, oh

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

Oh, oh, oh, oh

From where You're standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan
When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
I can't wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit [x2]

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
Cause You're already there
You're already there
When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

You are already there