I often forget to take pictures. I have my phone on me at all times with an amazing camera. I have cloud storage so I can save all the pictures I could ever want. But I just get caught up in ‘whatever’ and often forget to take it out of my pocket and capture the “Kodak Moment”. Sometimes I get to enjoy being in the moment.
Also, the reality of having my phone on me at all times comes with some cons. With an endless connection to seemingly all human knowledge within the global internet, I can get lost in endless scrolling of fail videos, cat videos, and weird history. I can get stuck reading about the local news from Cincinnati, reviews of books I’ll buy but never read, or the Wikipedia history of 90’s alternative rock bands. In all of this, I’ll completely MISS moments!
Sometimes I miss moments because I’m too busy thinking about the next moment coming up. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Enneagram, just know that I relate to the personality type often associated with the deadly sin of gluttony. “This is good, but you know what would make it better?” is a common thought running through my head. Always ready to add more. My kids as snuggly babies were sweet, but what about when they start talking? My kids are fun as toddlers, but what about when they are ready for school? This camping trip is fun, but you know where I’d really like to go next is . . .
Regrettably, if I’m not careful-I miss the now, too excited about what the next will be.
I’m not sure about the biblical characters’ Enneagram types, but David must have been aware of this human tendency to miss moments. I’m certain he did not have Instagram reels or Google News available to him. But perhaps, he too, had the propensity to miss the moment. I’m well aware that Psalm 23 likely comes from a time of great stress and uncertainty for David. That said, it sure does seem like the the opening lines of this infamous psalm apply to our current conversation as well:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
I’m so glad David caught this.
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. But, when you are my shepherd you slow me down.
On my own, I have lots of wants. But, my shepherd helps me lay down. My shepherd knows where to find the good green grass and the cool clean waters. And when I do slow down, when I am in the moment, my shepherd knows this will restore my soul.
Going outdoors to fields and streams is restorative . . . for some. But that may not be your jam. Please don’t take from this that you need the same thing as livestock. And maybe finding the time to get outside is unrealistic in this season. That’s fine. Slowing down to be in the moment will look like different things to us in different seasons.
Yet, please do slow down. Let the Lord be your shepherd. And in slowing down to be present in the moment, He will restore your soul.
About the Author
Mike is CitySalt's Lead Pastor. Mike is married to Britni and together they have two awesome children. He loves working in his garden and connecting with people over coffee. One of his greatest joys in pastoring is helping others discover the fullness that God has for them through His Scriptures and His Spirit.