Living in Relationship

I live somewhere between what I have been and what I will be, or rather what God is shaping me to be. I have had many successes and many failures. I am more than I was but remain less than I was created to be. But in between is the NOW. What does it mean to live in the now? Oprah has been extolling Eckhart Tolle’s books and teachings on living in the now. I can resonate with much that he has to say but he seems to leave out the most important piece of the puzzle, my relationship with God. For living in the now, for me, is to live in constant relationship with the one and only living God.

We have only the present moment. But we are not alone in that moment; God is always present with us. If I try to go it all alone I am only my true self in part. For it is only as I allow God’s extraordinary power to work within me, in the now, that I am in any way what I was created to be. I can handle the present moment because God provides all that I need for today, for the now. He empowers me with strength and supports my spirit and shapes my moments into the greatest possible now for me.

I will view what comes my way today as opportunities for a richer life. I will value all people I come in contact with as teachers placed in my path to bring me lessons in surviving and thriving. I will view my world today with eyes open to the sights, sounds and smells which make up the fabric of this magnificent creation. When I plod through the day in safe mode, secure in my rituals and routine, I miss the dazzling swirl of sparkling colors and the symphony of sound that surrounds me.

Today I slough off the old protective skin that I have grown to protect me from the fears and insecurities. I rejoice in the freedom to feel the winds of life swirling about me. I take off the blinders of habit and stale routine. I expand my view to take in the richness of the sights outside my tunnel vision. Truth and honesty with myself and others frees me to respond to life with gusto. The more open I am to God's leading in the now; the richer my life becomes and the better my relationships and connections with God and with those around me become.