I think one of the most difficult aspects of practicing mindfulness, or living in the moment, is to refrain from meddling. When I pause to notice a current moment, or reflect on a past memory, it’s accompanied by a need to either prolong or speed up whatever I might be experiencing.
When I stub my toe, I’m keenly aware of that very moment in time and begin frantically doing what I can to speed it up, until I reach the point when the pain subsides.
When I’m driving along 101 and make the inevitable turn to the East, to head back home, I strain my eyes and my nose to drink in whatever I can of the ocean, trying my hardest to manipulate the moment into something that lasts a little longer.
As humans, we seem to have difficulty accepting the restraints of time, always anxious to meddle a bit to better serve our own needs for comfort and ease. But I think God has something better for us. When we encounter a near-death experience or hear about a loved one who does, we are challenged to zoom out and consider just how delicate this life really is. We recognize, even if just briefly, that all that isguaranteed is this very moment that we are currently living and breathing. God designed his creation with a certain degree of fragility, requiring us to depend on something greater and to absorb and accept what each moment brings us. Regardless of our attempts to cope with, manipulate, or reinterpret our life experiences, God has created us to only be alive in each present moment.
Through the therapy approach Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, there is research suggesting that healing and wholeness can be found in acknowledging our reality, distinguishing it from our identity, and moving through each moment with acceptance and peace. This is not about sitting back and “taking it,” but about understanding the reality of each moment, without a need to change or ignore it, and working to continually reconnect with the core of who you are in the midst of that moment. Finding what’s true and unchanging in the midst of every circumstance and pausing to re-ground or recalibrate, moment by moment. This approach rings even more true when we consider our reality and our identity is grounded in the Prince of Peace.
Words from the prophet Jeremiah remind us that in each current moment, God sustains us and we can trust him:
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
While reflecting on the past and planning for the future are normal and healthy ways to navigate this life, I also hope to deepen a practice of noticing and accepting each current moment, without judgment or need to slightly tweak it. May God fill us with reassuring grace and peace that solidifies the ground holding up our feet, so we may stand in the present with intentionality and confidence in his provision.
About the Author
Britni is a quiet but fearless spirit who is earnestly seeking the beauty of the redemption that Jesus has personally determined for her life. Committed to the truth that listening breeds understanding and understanding results in compassion, she clings to the power of life’s stories. She has embarked on the venture of discovering her own story and lending an ear to the stories lived out in others and savors the trace of Jesus that is woven throughout them all. Currently, that journey has landed her in a balancing act between the role of wife, momma, and a mental health Care Coordinator.