I would guess that most people want their lives to be meaningful and that people define meaning in many different ways. Meaning could imply success, money, career, making a difference, relationships, etc. From a young age I was driven to have my life matter for something. I wanted to go on big adventures and change the world and I believe I have already several of those opportunities.
Here is what I have learned, though:
If we can't learn to be content in the present adventure of life, then we will never be fully satisfied by the anticipation of the next big adventure.
It is the concept of practicing presence. I have struggled with this my whole life. I want to live for the idea of the next big adventure and often end up missing the adventure that I am currently in.
"Oh how I want to be in some far off place doing something exciting and changing the world... I want to see people rescued from human trafficking or adopted into families or come to know Jesus..."
But today I am just running errands, having lunch with a friend, working, and watching TV with my family. That doesn't feel like changing the world.
I have this theory that when we get to heaven, God is going to show us all the small ways our lives mattered when we didn't even know it. I think about it like the butterfly effect. Who knows when a moment can change eternity?
Practicing presence is practicing trust. It is trusting that God is ever present in my day to day life- even in the mundane. He is not just present at the revival or when we are praying or sharing the gospel or at church. He is working and moving in ways we cannot even begin to understand in this life.
It can be a struggle to find meaning in day to day activities like going to the grocery store or changing diapers or working a job that is not your dream job. But I want to challenge us to continue to press in to those moments and trust that God is in them, somewhere. We have to become aware to do this. We have to take moments to pause and breathe and stop thinking about the next big adventure or what we wish could be.
As I prepare to go to Thailand, I am reminded of this. Am I excited about what I will be doing? Of course I am. But, I don't want to miss what is happening today and that is tempting. But I know that if I don't learn how to be present now, then I won't be able to be present in Thailand either. I will keep thinking about what is next. For me, it often takes a lot of discipline to be present. Maybe for you, it is easy. Maybe for you, it is hard to dream and think about the future. But either way, our lives can be meaningful right now.
Pause.
Breathe.
Selah.
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