Tip of My Iceberg

I was running errands with my daughter, and four-year-old Nolan was tagging along.

Not by desire, but by necessity.

In one store, there was a plethora of Halloween costumes and decorations, situated next to early Christmas knick-knacks. It was quite surreal; it has still been in the 90s here, and hurricane season is now in full swing. With Halloween over a month away and Christmas more than three months away, it feels like we’re rushing things a bit too much.

I know most of this is over-commercializing these holidays to generate more revenue for businesses. However, the big rush to begin preparations for these special days actually detracts from the enjoyment of the celebration.

Nolan was thrilled with finding a vampire cutout to stick his head through so he could pretend. When I asked him if he knew what it was, he simply said, “Scary.”

People can only take so much of the scary stuff.

We’re all in a hurry to accomplish the next great thing. To experience what we’ve yet to encounter, to embrace what hasn’t been. We scroll through screens with a rapidity that allows us to check what others are doing, what kind of excitement others are having. We fill our lives with activities and noise, wanting the thrill of whatever piques our curiosity.

We don’t like to wait for anything.

Not getting what we want can cause a lot of anxiety and frustration. But rather than deal with that, we often push through, doing more, experiencing more, not slowing down enough to embrace what’s going on in our hearts and minds.

The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote the letter to the church at Philippi. Prison wasn’t a place for rehabilitation then; it was a holding cell, with horrific conditions, for those awaiting trial and punishment. The church in Philippi was the first church he planted in Europe during his second missionary journey. He loved these people dearly, and in his letter to them, he spoke of his commitment to the cause God had called him to. He rejoiced, even though he was suffering. He had better things to look forward to.

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:6-7.

Paul could have been in a state of panic, despair, or depression. He knew the end of his life was approaching. Too soon. But rather than become despondent, he rejoiced that he knew where he’d be after death. He wasn’t in a hurry to die; his urgency came from wanting more people to know the hope of salvation in Jesus. That hope kept him calm and at peace as he was shackled between two guards in prison.

We push through life, longing for the fun and excitement, while cruising past the hard and demanding moments. Being in the moment is the challenge, especially if life feels mundane and uneventful in the present.

We are meant to live in the here and now. Seeing the joy and hope in the moment may be one of the toughest things we do. Like Nolan, we want the fun of what’s not yet because what is doesn’t seem to measure up.

Pastor and author John Ortberg said it well: “When the soul is understood and attended to, we can be liberated from hurry, preoccupation, unsatisfied desires, and chronic discontent. “

Receive the gift of today as it was intended, an opportunity to enjoy being alive.

Tomorrow will take care of itself.