N – Now Is Where God Is {26 Surprising Ways to Encounter God, A-Z}
“The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment.”
– Eckhart Tolle
N—Now
Right now, what are you thinking?
Is it something from yesterday or the past? Or is it about tomorrow and the future?
Most of us have a time orientation. We can fall into one of three main categories:
- past-oriented,
- present-oriented, or
- future-oriented (that’s me and much of America).
Our orientation toward time drastically affects where our thoughts linger. [Read The Time Paradox for fascinating information on this. Quotes and my review here. Take the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory here to determine your own time type.]
As we age, our perspective of the speed of time also changes. The older we get, the faster time flies, right?
But regardless of how we view time, the only moment we’re ever in is this one. This moment. Right now.
Every other moment in time is either already lived or can’t yet be reached.
Because this is the moment we’re in, this is the moment we encounter God the most vividly.
This very moment is where God is most at work in us, breathing, thinking, feeling.
Try This
Let go of past and future thoughts. Think only of this second.
- What sounds are you hearing?
- What sensations are in your body?
- What are you seeing, smelling, or tasting in this moment?
These are all things that God is hearing, sensing, seeing, smelling, and tasting with you.
Stay aware.
What is the one thing that God most wants you to do or be in this moment?
This is your moment of encounter.
Learn More
- 4 Lessons on Living in the Now
How can we learn to live more in the now? Here are 4 lessons I learned last year about living in the “Now,” my One Word 2015. - 5 Ways to Stay in the Now
How to live more in the moment while still visiting the past and future. Quotes included from Eckhart Tolle’s, The Power of Now. - God Is Present Now
Includes quotes from Frank Laubach’s classic, Letters by a a Modern Mystic - Time in Different Cultures
A fascinating article on how a cultures’ values are often reflected in their tempo of life.
* * *
Do you think more about the past or the future? Or do you stay mainly in the present? Please share in the comments.
Coming up tomorrow:
- O – Oddities
How can you find God in the odd things of your life?
If you’d like to receive 26 Surprising Ways by email, sign up here.
- Week in Review and What’s Next {26 Surprising Ways to Encounter God, A-Z}
- O – God in Odd Spaces {26 Surprising Ways to Encounter God, A-Z}
Love how you explained the 3 categories. “This is the moment we are in”. So true.
Thanks, Debbie. I can grasp the 3 categories in my head and understand the beauty of staying in the moment, yet I still struggle to stay here. Sigh. But I’m getting better, so progress is good, right? 🙂
“The step I am taking at this moment.”
This is good medicine for this eyes-on-the-future girl. Someone wrote about “the sacred now” (I think it’s a book), and I love that phrase as well — to counteract my continual scanning of the horizon.
I love that phrase too—the sacred now—because I’m like you, Michele–eyes-on-the-future. That can come in handy too. But all in balance. Thanks for sharing.
There’s a phrase “do what your hands find to do” that I often think about in regards to future thinking. There is nothing wrong with planning but everything wrong with being so eager to get to tomorrow that we don’t see today’s blessings, today’s virtues and the real people right in front of us who needed served, today.
You’ve got it exactly right, Helene. Too often I can miss this moment because my head is in tomorrow. Planning is good but action is more likely in the moment. I want to stay here; this is the place where our hands can be put to the task. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Lisa- I am never in the present,but stuck in the past and trying to stick in future. I need to enjoy where God has me now instead of wishing it was different!
Great reminder to be more intentional about using my senses to participate in this moment!
#MomentsofHope
Julie
I find it so interesting how we can do this, Julie. I don’t linger too much in the past, but I know others do that, while others of us think too far ahead to the future. But this moment is where we are most alive!
I’m interested in taking that inventory, Lisa. Thanks for providing the resource. And this is a great topic and one we need greater awareness and understanding on in life. I often encourage my clients and readers at my blog to get in touch with their emotions, which means stopping and being in the “now.” It’s not as easy as it sounds, so I’m always grateful for greater understanding and insight on the subject. 🙂
I agree, Beth–it sounds much simpler to get in touch with our emotions than it is to do. I haven’t thought about being in the now as a way to facilitate that, but it makes sense!
Wow! I didn’t realize there was a Time-Type! I may have to come back and take that inventory!!! Thanks, Lisa, as always for being such an hope-filling part of #MomentsofHope!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
I know; time-types—who knew? ha. I read about it a few years ago, and it really clicked with me. I’m definitely future-oriented, which can be good and bad. 😉 If you take the test, let me know what type you are, Lori.
Good question! I’m listening to my students discuss their projects with one corner of my brain, and reading this blog post about being in the moment with another part ;). In the background, I’m worrying about some of my kiddos because they’ll graduate soon, yet they revert to kindergarten-like behavior on any given day.
Ha. Sounds like a woman’s brain for sure, Anita. 🙂 My brain tends to divide up like that as well. It’s been a real challenge to me the past few years to work more on concentrated mindfulness. It doesn’t come naturally, that’s for sure.
Time is such a fascinating subject. I wonder what time-type I am? I’ll have to take the test and find out. I’ve always thought that in those moments when time seems to stand still when the day is long and we have “enough” time that it is in those moments when we are completely it the will of God. I guess I’ll find out someday if that were true! Blessings!
I think you’re definitely on to something, June! In those moments of “flow” or being in the “now,” are probably the ones we are most aware of being in God’s presence. I long for more of those!
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