ENJOY THE NOW

It feels like my mind is always busy thinking, planning, reflecting, or racing in many different directions. I believe I have made some progress trying to just ‘enjoy the now,’ the gift that ‘the now’ is. It was something I had lots of practice with this past week.

My daughter and I drove her car, with 350 pounds of luggage, including her two saxophones, cross-country from New York State to El Paso, Texas, as she begins her three-year military band assignment there. The trip was about 2,200 miles and 32 hours with no traffic or stops. We had six days to get there, and I was glad to fly back home after, especially with an unexpected upgrade to first class for my first leg which was a first for me.

 

My first class breakfast box score!

 

How did I just ‘enjoy the now?’

*Had no plans on how far we would go each day.

*Arranged no hotel reservations or stops.

*Soaked in the beauty of the scenery as it unfolded—from the lush green mountains and hills to the barren, brown desert area with smaller bushes.

*Praised the Lord for all of His amazing creation.

*Reminded myself that life is not so much about the destination as it is the journey itself.

*Spent quality time praying for others throughout the times of silence.

*Being immersed in God’s peace and presence while on the open highways.

*Expressed gratitude knowing God was leading, guiding, and protecting, especially through the prayers of many.

*Assurance that trusting the Lord would provide what we needed if and when we needed it.

 

This was the first trip that I embarked on that had no daily plans as we drove. We wanted to go as far as we could reasonably the first few days to make sure we allowed for any issues that might arise in our travels. The sooner we could get closer to our destination, the better we would both feel.

 

 Photo courtesy of BK under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

This trek goes down in history as the one that I packed the least amount of luggage for. It felt freeing to ‘go light’ and to practice living in ‘the now,’ one moment at a time, as we drove on the open road. I was reminded of this passage:

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”  –Luke 12:22-25  (NIV)

Jesus does not want us to live in fear or anxiety—something easier said than done, I know. But we do need to grow in trust, knowing He is in control. He made the birds of the air and lilies of the fields. Have you looked in wonder and awe at them and then thought about how God works everything out for our good? Even when things don’t go our way, our faith reinforces that God is with us, providing all we need.

 

The first day it was nice being on some familiar roads of New York State, Pennsylvania, and a few in Ohio. We stopped every few hours, and the time passed rather quickly as we chatted away. Before we knew it, eleven hours were down, and we stopped for the night in Terre Haute, Indiana. Even better for me, my daughter was the expert at picking out the hotel and places to eat while I drove. Being decision free for most of the time was a plus for me, allowing me more time to ‘enjoy the now.’

I enjoy driving the open roads, especially the highways, which were 95% of this trip. I was pleasantly surprised to see there was hardly any congestion and not many stopped construction areas. How I love to see God’s beautiful creation while driving: the sky, clouds, trees, hills, lush fields, and wildflowers.

Since my daughter enjoys aquariums, the second day we stopped in St. Louis, Missouri,  to walk around there and to ride the huge Ferris wheel to get a good bird’s-eye view of the city. We were time sensitive because of the instruments being in the hot car, which did limit our sightseeing.

 

Historic Route 66

 

We stopped in Tulsa, Oklahoma for two nights since we were over halfway to El Paso. The Oklahoma aquarium was awesome despite the puffer fish (my daughter’s favorite) being in quarantine because of the other fish hurting him. We also took in an art museum and garden in Tulsa.

 

I found this carving so beautiful and intricate at the art museum!

 

Ironically, it seemed the third and fourth days of our travels, though the shortest amount of time, seemed like the longer drives. We arrived in El Paso on our fifth day, the fourth day of driving. A cool fun fact is that we drove from one end to the other of five of the eight states we drove through—Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Oklahoma had some of the most desolate places, which was a little scary, but I would say, “Jesus, I trust in thee.” It always made me smile when I would see a highway sign with that saying on it, a heart or two reminding me of His love, and even a sign that said, “You are braver than you believe.”

 

Driving into El Paso, Texas

 

 

Leaving the El Paso, Texas airport.

 

Be encouraged this week to…

… live life to the fullest by ‘enjoying the now’ of each task.

… see the opportunities God orchestrates as you live in the moment.

… know you are more valuable to God than the birds of the air.

… have more faith than worry.

… seek God’s peace and presence even in the difficulties.

… know you can do all things with Christ leading.

 

REFLECTION:

What is one thing that helps you ‘enjoy the now?’
When did you ‘enjoy the now’ even though it was a difficult season?

 

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  –Romans 8:28  (NLT)