Living in the moment

Most everyone is familiar with the first stanza of the Serenity prayer,

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

But few people know the second stanza,

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

I've been thinking about this part of the prayer quite a bit lately. Particularly the first verse, "Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time".

As we prepare to move to Iowa and begin a new chapter in our lives there are so many things to do. We're still trying to figure out what we're going to do with our house which is worth much less than what we bought it for last year. We're working with the moving companies, coordinating our travel schedule, Josie is looking for a new job and we're both wrapping up our old jobs. We're also figuring out what to do with my car which has broken down again, and arranging housing in Iowa.

In other words, we have a lot going on right now. And almost everything that we're working on has to do with the future. This presents a real problem. It's hard to enjoy the present moment. It's hard to trust that God will make all things right for the future. It's hard to know the difference between the things we can and can't control.

Adding to this challenge, I already have trouble enjoying the present. I'm always thinking about the future, about what could be. I'm an idealist and a dreamer. That's how God has created me.

And yet I'm reminded in the words of Psalm 118 that "today is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it".

So this morning I am trying to give thanks for this day, this place, and the many wonderful people we'll soon be leaving. I marvel at the beauty of God's desert creation. I give thanks for the people that have made this place home for the past three years. And I give thanks that God is present in the midst of it all.