day 285: "Living My Future"

We just returned from nearly three weeks of vacation in Africa. It was a remarkable trip in so many ways. Whenever given the chance to see and experience a part of the world that is 180 degrees different in perspective than what you live daily, it becomes more than eye-opening. The difference in the work and lifestyle of people is also stark. While I write daily on the obstacles that we face in our work, we should be reminded that there are still many people in the world who's work is to daily acquire the resources to be able to subsist for that day. It is hard to fathom until you see the women who spend five to six hours a day gathering and carrying enough firewood or water for the day at hand. Men who live from the river or the bush months at a time to acquire enough fish or money to return home for a few days to be with their family and hand-off their carry, before they head out again. There is a certain living in the present that is unique and from what I learned with the people who I was able to interact, this living and working in the moment is not at all consuming or frustrating. It is just the way it is. I think about the times that each of us lose sleep worrying and have anxiety about our future or the decision that needs to be made about the next job or relocation. It seems to me from what I saw in Africa that these are not thoughts that are indigenous to the human experience. These are anxieties and worries that we create on ourselves. There are no ads for anti-depressants or mood-elevating pills in Africa. A man named, Lazaro, one of our safari guides, who also was a minister in his local village church (400 people and growing) told me that he not only loves his job, but that he was born to do what he does and he is "living his future". He has found the way to pull the future to the present and live in the moment. God tells us to do the same thing when in Matthew 6:34 He says, "don't worry about tomorrow...". God would not tell us this if He wasn't going to provide for each of us and that He knows that like the Africans that I met, that today is enough for today and that tomorrow will take care of itself. Are you living your future today? Today, would be a good day to see if you can remove the worries of tomorrow and focus in on the blessings and the moments of today. Give thanks for those moments and give thanks for having a great today to experience.

Reference: Matthew 6:34 (New Living Testament)

day 93: Job Worries?

Did you wake this morning worrying about whether or not the security of your job is as good as you want it to be? Are you faced this week with a situation, a report, a presentation, a sales call, or a difficult decision that has you worrying about the outcome as it relates to keeping your job or business? Let me assure you, if you are, you are far from being alone. Each week and each day we can be facing a decisive moment or situation that could affect whether or not we keep our job or lose it. I would say that it is more of an occurrence today than ever. What are we to do with ourselves on these days? Are we to hit the snooze button and roll back over and avoid the day? Are we to allow ourselves to stress, strain and worry ourselves and others into paralysis or worse? Of course not. We are to face the challenges head on without fear or worry, knowing that if we are following in the footsteps of our Lord that these issues will pass and the right things will happen. We are told this in Matthew 6:25: “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life…” The verse goes on to tell us not to worry about many of the things that are the output of our work. Things like, food, drink and clothes. It is so clear, but so hard to practice. It is hard to have the faith to put the worries of everyday life aside and trust God that He will deliver. I have known people who have been able to do so and sometimes it seems almost ridiculous to hear how much of their lives that they turn over, but in the end they are the ones that have the faith, certainly not me who can find myself not having enough faith to even believe that they do. But, it is clear, we are to give up the worries and let God direct us. In this time of turmoil I hear of many who are seeking God for the first time as they exhaust all other possibilities. Let’s be the examples as ones who have put their worries of everyday life, work being a part of that everyday life, on the back burner and allowing others to see a peace of mind and being that truly passeth all understanding.

Reference: Matthew 6:25 (New Living Testament)