Live in the now

Sometimes we may complain that our children are connected to their electronic devices all the time putting us to the side and living in their own world.  I understand things change, each generation has differences which should be understood and young people want their space, but that doesn’t mean that they need to be completely disconnected from their family or their present.  

It may seem that teens are sometimes detached from their now trying to keep up with a virtual world that doesn’t slow down, but as parents we can help our children learn to enjoy all the benefits technology brings without sacrificing the simple joy of living in the present. 

As parents we have an immense influence over our children, one that begins the moment they are conceived, so how we use that head start is crucial.  

We need to teach our children to enjoy the moment they are in, to help them see that they don’t always have to be “busy” and to be careful not to allow distractions steal from each memory, but how do we do that?  Actions speak louder than words and as parents we are being watched constantly; our children are learning from what they see us doing.   Do we half way listen to them as we scroll checking the latest e-mail or tweet? Do we leave them hanging on a sentence to answer a phone call?  “Do for others what you would like them to do for you.”  (Matthew 7:12)  If you want your children to pay attention to you, then pay attention to them.

If we look at Jesus’s life, we can see wonderful examples of living in the now.   Jesus knew how to live in the moment.  We all know He had a full agenda and was always doing something or traveling somewhere, but He was never too distracted to appreciate or too busy to help, to listen, to heal… to make a difference in people’s lives.  He expects us to do the same “The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”  (John 14:12)   

So Jesus didn’t have Facebook or Twitter not even a phone!  Yet he had plenty of friends and followers that could have kept Him busy all day, but He had His priorities straight; He knew His relationship with God came before anything else; He knew that if He didn’t spend that time with His Father each morning, He would not be ready for the day.  “Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.”  (Mark 1:35) His inner peace gave Him the ability to live each day to the fullest, taking advantage of every situation to love.  Jesus didn’t worry about the future either “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.”  (Matthew 6:34) When we are too concerned about what will come we are too busy and too stressed to let God’s love flow.

My favorite example of Jesus living the  moment is in Mark 14:26 “Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.”  It touches me in a way I can’t explain.  Jesus knew He was about to suffer and die as a sacrifice, but He was not thinking about that,  at that instant He was singing and praising God ... that is living in the moment! And that is how I want to live, I want my life to be a song of praise to God as I keep my eyes fixed on Him, because if I am focused on Him and I do what He tells me, He will take care of the rest, and I will have peace to enjoy the now He has given me.   

Let’s make each instant count, let’s really enjoy our life, let’s not wait for “good” times to be happy or for ”special” dates to celebrate. Let’s live life to the fullest right now so the people around us can see the joy of living in the present.