This Present Day

This Present Day

The launch of my book is 3 weeks away!!! I am currently reading through my book one last time. As I read, I am seeing how many of the lessons God inspired me to write down 7 years ago apply to the current situation we are living through.

Here are some of the similarities I am seeing between infertility and the coronavirus pandemic:

*Infertility is a path no one chooses to walk and everyone wishes they could quickly find a different path to walk.

*No one knows how long the season will last.

*It is isolating.

*There are a lot of emotions.

*It is difficult.

*There are a lot of questions, and few satisfying answers.

*It has the potential to draw you closer to God or make you mad at Him.

On this atypical Monday, I am challenging myself to be present.

BE PRESENT

Today is no different than any other Monday in that we have to fight distractions in order to give our attention to the things that really matter. For many of us, the distractions have taken on different shapes, but the distractions are always there.

If you are also fighting to BE PRESENT, if you are fighting to thrive, not just get through this season, here is an excerpt from my book that may encourage you:

From Chapter 8 – LIVE in the Moment:

Our culture is always looking toward what’s next. When my daughter was 5, she would wake up each morning and ask, “What are we going to do today?” When I would give her an answer she would then ask, “What after that?” She and I would continue in this line of questioning until we reached an answer that she was excited about. From such an early age, we want to know what’s next. We struggle to live in the moment.

Some battles are worth fighting. Consider the outcome if you are able to live fully present in the moment you are in: You will be able to soak up each moment. Your relationships will be carefully tended instead of being neglected by busyness and distance. You will be at peace, with the ability to enjoy and notice what God has for you NOW, instead of wondering what is next.

God has you right where you are, doing what you are doing, for a greater purpose than to just get through it. There are co-workers who need love and encouragement, neighbors who need a hand, family members who need attention, relationships that need strengthening… the list goes on. God puts people in your path each day. He gives you countless opportunities to partner with Him in bringing light and love to a dark and broken world.

Acts 17:26-27 says, “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

He has determined the times set for you. He has determined the exact place that you live. God did this so that you would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from you.

Don’t miss out on the intimacy to be had with God, as you partner with Him in bringing his Kingdom to earth. Look up and out as opposed to down and in as you walk through your day and you will be surprised how many God-appointed opportunities you have been given. What an adventure!!!

Be intentional about finding out about what is going on with other people. Think of questions you can ask people who are dear to you when you are not with them. Keep track of what is going on in their life and follow up with it. Practice love. Practice thinking about others. Practice makes perfect. You would be amazed at how relieved you feel when you take some of your focus off yourself and focus on others instead.