Living in the Moment

I don't know if I have actually blogged about this phenomenon before, but it's something that consistently plagues me.
When I am doing dishes, folding laundry, sitting on my bed, running outside, or doing anything other than something that facilitates the documentation of my thoughts, I have oodles of brilliant thoughts.
Unfortunately, as soon as I can get to the place where I can write them down, they are gone. Completely gone.

Until the point when I get up in frustration and do something else. But the moment passed.

How do I catch the moment? It seems like I either think about the future moment, and am too busy contemplating it to catch it when it comes, or the moment comes, passes, and I am left spinning in the wake. What just happened? How was I supposed to respond?

Oh, that's what I was supposed to do...! Oops. Too late now. Should I feel sad? Na...then I would be sad all the time. Keep moving on. Maybe you'll catch the next one.

How does one get their head out of the clouds...

AAAA!!! GIANT BEETLE IN THE ROOM!

I think it was attracted to the light from my computer screen. It's gone now...at least, I think it is.
It wasn't really giant. It was the size of my fingernail-but it sure sounded giant in the dark!

 - And it attacked me again! It flew into my hair!

 I took action, gently picked up the bewildered beast, and escorted him out the front door, stubbing my already injured little toe for the third (or was it the fourth?) time in the process.
It's ok. It wasn't really the beetle's fault. I hope he can think more clearly outside.

Anyway, about living in the present. That was a real-life play-by-play, believe it or not. A beetle did attack me while I was writing this post, and at a rather appropriate interval, too. He had good timing.
 I kind of liked him, actually. I hope he does well in life, and lives for a few seconds longer than the rest of the kamikaze beetles out there.




Now I'm flipping through the memories of moments lost. There's the time when the one slightly shifted guy told me that Christians were all hypocrites, among other things, and I didn't have anything brilliant to say in response other than "I'm sorry."

The one mystererious guy that saw me canvassing in the store and bought me a rose. I didn't have anything intelligent to say to him, and left as soon as possible. WHY DID I DO THAT?

All those people that were hurting, asking questions, or speaking from the heart, and I didn't have a response...until too late.

All the times when I could have done something really fun, but I was too scared. Scared of failing, or getting hurt, or looking silly, or making a mistake.

And the moment passed.

The beautiful smiles, tears, laughs, sobs...I looked away. And they passed. Where did they go?

You know what? In all my many many days of life, I have seen noticed at least one common thread pertaining to happiness. No matter what circumstances you have in your hands, treasure them.
Savor that moment. You can't rehearse your life. You can't learn the script.
It's all a totally impromtu performance.

And that's the truly great thing about God. He can help you to live in the moment the best way that you should.

So to be honest, life as a non-Christian vs. life as a Christian is like a stand-up comedy vs. the performance of a couple of dancers. You are either the comedian, or one of the dancers. As a comedian, you're making up jokes on the fly. As a dancer, even if you knew how to dance, this dance is one that no one can really learn or perform by themselves, because it changes constantly. But when you dance with the One Who created the dance, you're not alone and clueless. Your Partner knows exactly what He's doing, and He'll not only teach you, but also supplement and complement you, giving you the strength and skill you lack. What an honor to be allowed, invited, and even entreated to dance life with God.