Get Well Soon Kaitlin: Practicing the Present Tense

My friend Josh put into words what our family has been trying to do- practicing the present tense. Cognitively it’s so easy to say that I’m not going to dwell in the past or fixate on the future, but then I try to put it into my daily routine and I realize it is a much harder task. Yet I know that life can be so amazing when I live the short game, enjoy the moment, be present now, and see the joy at hand.

Our puppy Jax is the master of the short game, of living in the moment. One of my favorite times of the day revolves around letting him out of his kennel in the laundry room first thing in the morning. As he hears my steps approaching his tail begins thumping with anticipation. As his gate swings open he runs circles around my legs with total and complete joy. As he bolts into the backyard his ears flapping and feet flying he circles the yard sniffing for rabbits and squirrels. Jax loves life; every moment is in the now, no seeming memory of the past or fear of the future- just pure living in the moment at hand.

As I ponder my faith journey in over the last four months, it seems like my ability to live in the moment with peace and joy is entirely dependent on my ability to accept by faith that God is in control, and that He has my best interest at heart. Do I really believe what the Bible says and can I apply it in my life? Hebrews 13:5 says “…Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” – then continues in verse 15 with “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name.”