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“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”
Matthew 6:34 ESV

Breathe deeply.

Smile genuinely.

Find beauty in every single day.

Be grateful.

Laugh.

Start living in the now.

I know how some days this comes easier than others. I am walking this very same road myself.

And I am raising children on it. I recently shed tears with my teenage daughter over how she won’t have her Daddy to walk her down the wedding aisle. She is fifteen and she shared that she almost dreads her wedding day because of what has been lost and who will be missing.

My heart splinters in new places I didn’t even know had not previously been shattered.

Life changes suddenly.

We have faced catastrophic loss. We know deep hurt and unrelenting sorrow.

We can choose to remain in the pain, being paralyzed by the fear of nothing ever being good again, focusing on all the events he will be missing from, that are yet to come. Wallowing in the exhaustion of facing these future moments as our sadness steals their joy before they even have a chance to occur.

OR

We can start taking steps towards BEING PRESENT IN OUR NOW.

Because, dreading the future without him won’t bring him back. It won’t make the days to come any easier. What it is guaranteed to do though, is steal us from our now. It will suffocate the current right out of us as the days will pile upon themselves until we have missed living.

We’ve lost enough. Let’s not choose to give more to death than it has already taken.

So together, let’s pause.

Breathe deeply.

The Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

Smile genuinely.

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart.
Proverbs 15:30a NLT

Find beauty in every single day.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Be grateful.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Laugh.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
Proverbs 31:25

Let’s make the choice to start being present in our now.

My daughter’s wedding day will arrive sometime in the next decade or so. And yes, her Daddy will be missing from the day. And yes, we will be achingly aware of that missing. But dreading it now isn’t going to change his lack of presence, it will only steal peace from today. We will find a way to honor his place in her life and heart, and it will be a beautiful celebration. He will have the best seat in the house, from heaven above.

Father God, You alone are our strength and in You alone will we be able to pause and truly experience the “now” in our lives. Show us the positives of our present day and fill us with Your peace. Amen.