Casandra Martin

Where do you spend most of your time? I’m not asking for a copy of your to-do list or a sneak peek into your day planner. This is a question about your eyes, your attention. Where are you going to spend today? Some of us spend our todays looking back over our shoulders. The past is more real to us than the present. Sometimes we look back with joy and longing. For others, regret and guilt are magnets that pull our eyes backwards. Most of us spend our days in the future. We are thinking ahead, planning what comes next, getting ready for the next thing. Sometimes it is just a few minutes ahead that holds our attention. Other times our focus is fixed on someday….

There is nothing wrong with memories or organization. Memories help us remember who we are and how God has worked in our lives so we can see Him more clearly today. Planning ahead should help us embrace the moment with confidence and joy. I’m afraid, however, that often we miss today because our eyes are locked on yesterday or searching tomorrow’s horizons. We are so focused on getting to our destination that we miss the beauty of the journey. We can’t wait to get there, so we miss here. Our hearts are so focused on back then, that we miss now.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pay attention to the details of today. I don’t want to miss this minute because my mind is already on the next one. I commit to embracing the fullness, depth, richness, and joy that God has poured into today. I am going to look deeply into the faces of the people God brings through my day today. I will walk through my house and count my blessings, literally. I am going to pay attention to the colors I see and absorb the textures and tastes I experience, and marvel. I don’t want to waste a moment of His presence by not being fully present.