Saturday 1 September 2018

Here And Now

This time last week, we were travelling home from our holiday in North Wales. A week and a day before that I was feeling overwhelmed by our holiday in North Wales. So many why's and worries.
Would we cope with a car journey that was nearly 300 miles? Would I remember everything? Would we all get on? Were the children going to enjoy themselves?
And, so on.

All these thoughts were running through my mind, when, instead, I should have been reading. I gazed at the words on the page, not even taking them in and let my mind race along with all these worries. Then I looked up and, because I was sat outside, I saw it. A cross in the clouds.


In that moment, it was where I needed it to be. Not a coincidence. Clouds move, I am usually looking down and reading. Yet in that one moment, I look up and I see - really see. I am letting these thoughts and concerns of things that may never happen steal my peace.
As I looked up and fixed my gaze on the cross in the clouds, my mind was flooded with much brighter thoughts. I have the strength to do this because God has placed that within me. Worrying about the week would get me nowhere. I could plan and have things in place to help me through the week, however, really, I had no idea what the week would bring. The picture that was in front of me reminded me that life should be about the here and now. Instead of worrying about what might come, I should make the most of each new day, for it truly is new and with a change of mindset I am able to see that.

So, I made the choice to leave the worries in God's hands, for there is no better place. I turned my thinking around - we were off on an adventure, we would get there OK for we were covered in prayer (thank you) and our satnav lady was always very helpful! I reminded myself that it is a privilege and a blessing to be able to go on holiday. We would journey through each new day, seeing it as an opportunity to make memories or to just simply enjoy being together.

In that moment, with that perfect picture in front of me, I determined that the next time my thoughts overwhelmed me, as they surely would, I would pause, look up and appreciate all that was in the here and now.

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