Living in the Moment



I am not a short blogger.  This is what I am discovering.  So, hopefully I don’t lose you all with my ramblings.  The past two weeks have felt a bit like an earthquake in our lives.  The ground just doesn’t feel as firm beneath our feet.  We are seeing everything and everyone around us with new eyes.  Hugs are more frequent, kisses last longer and my husband and I who are not cuddlers by nature, fall asleep hands entwined, just wanting the warm assurance of the others presence.  Our world has been rocked.

In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.” Psalm 20:1

But through the sorrow and the pain we feel and see God at work in our lives and the lives of those who loved our dear friend, Rob Hall. Over a thousand people attended the funeral/life celebration.  I have never experienced anything like it.  It was such an incredible tribute to a life well lived.  Seeing a family truly live out their faith 'not my will Lord, but yours be done' is so overwhelming, inspiring.  We heard stories about his life, sang songs of worship, wept and laughed, it was beautiful, heartbreaking, joyful and uplifting.  The presence of God was palpable in the voices of 1,000 people singing ‘He Loves Us’ from their souls.



Our church has prayed and feels unanimously that moving to Brazil to help those in need is  God's plan for us, the Xtreme Mercy board for Xingu Mission has voted unanimously,  we are on a track now, we are trusting God and His plans for our lives.  It's a scary place some days but it's also an exciting place to be living in.  The journey before us has taken on new meaning and new significance.  Not that it wasn’t meaningful before because it was, but I guess we’ve just had a stark reminder that our lives can be so much shorter than we realize, there’s no guarantee here.  If at first it made us recoil and want to stay here, where everything is comfortable and ‘safe’ where we have an incredible network of friends and family whom we love intensely, it has now made us realize that this life we’ve been given it truly is a gift and should be used to it’s best potential.  

This is not to say that if you are not packing your bags and selling your house to move to another continent to help those in need, you’re wasting your days, but what I am saying is that when opportunity knocks at your door you need to answer.  And opportunity knocks in your neighbourhood, in your workplace, in the coffee shop.  Every day we have the opportunity to make the lives of others happier, to make our own lives fuller.  But we have to live in the present, in this moment.  In his blog Rob wrote, ‘Lean into the things in front of you and there you will find God’s Kingdom’, yes he was a wise man.   It is so easy in our lives to be constantly living a week, a month even a year ahead of ourselves, blind to what is right in front of us. WE ARE SO BUSY.

‘God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Use them well to serve one another’ 1 Peter 4:10

So I issue a challenge to you, as you get through your day today, notice someone in need and see how you can fill that need.  That’s it.  Then, do it again tomorrow and the next day. Every day be present in the moment.

May you have ‘Ears to hear and eyes to see-both are gifts from the Lord’ Proverbs 20:12

Be blessed and bless others.

For more information about Rob’s family and how you can help fill their needs visit:
www.danielroberthall.net/foundation

Comments

Tricia G said…
I have to stop reading your blog at work, crying in a cubicle isn't so pretty, lol!
Lisa said…
The funeral was amazing (if that is the right word for a funeral...) - inspiring, a great reminder of God's grace. I too was very moved with so many people singing/yelling "He loves us!" I also can't stop mulling over "Lean into the things in front of you and there you will find the Kingdom of God". Living now in the moment and blessing where we are.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Shelley said…
great words Jenn. thanks
Living India said…
You go girl and thanks for the encouragement to do the same!

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