Be Here

So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

—Mt. 6:34

What Jesus tells us in this simple thought is, “Be present.” That seems like such an easily accomplished directive. But tell the truth—one of the hardest things any of us can do is to be fully present in this very moment. Distractions come from everywhere. There was earlier today, the unfinished business of breakfast still demanding attention. There is yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that—all bringing things still bopping around inside our heads—regrets, interruptions, missed deadlines—all the stuff of the past that refuses to go away. Then there is tomorrow, the tomorrow Jesus speaks to, the tomorrow with all its unknowns, or knowns that demand work now. With all of that bing-bonging through our awareness, the one single moment we can guarantee we are not connected with is this one. So Jesus instructs us to wake up, be here, and be now.

Why?

Here is where the action is.

What does that mean?

The only moment when we can actually do something or say something, help someone or work with someone, love someone or listen to someone, or walk with someone or guide someone is RIGHT NOW.

So where are you?

The thing of it is that most of us spend a great deal of the present fretting. That is also strongly a piece of what Jesus says. He has come a long way from the angel Gabriel meeting Mary and Joseph in the advent of Jesus’ birth with his strong, adamant, and inescapable, “Fear not!” Jesus seemingly has experience enough and an understanding of his audience that runs deep. Fearlessness is beyond us. Fretting is a national pastime. So, Jesus works with the assumption that we will always be fretful; but he wants our fretting limited. “If you’re going to fret, at least fret about something you might be able to do something about!”

So what are you fretting about? A child? A parent? A relationship? The bills? Work? What is it? It’s there. 

But is it NOW?

What I mean by that last question is to see whether or not the thing fretted over is present—present to be worked on, worked out, or worked over. Is it something that has not happened, but MAY happen? Dismiss that one right now. Worry about what is actual not potential (until it becomes real). Is it something you actually can do something about? This issue is massive for most people. We worry about things that we really can’t alter or influence. This is especially true when dealing with other people. Oh, how we wish we could change someone. Oh, how we wish a conversation would follow our carefully crafted script. But they won’t and it won’t. Let that go. The only person you can do anything about is you. Being present allows us to check in with our own responses, reactions, and recognitions. Are we doing now what we need to do? Is it something that happened that is now said and done? Again, this one is so hard to let go of—we want to rewrite the past, alter the outcome, or erase the mistake we see we might have avoided. You can’t. That is not a pessimistic dismissal of second chances or forgiveness—any proclamation of Jesus sees those as absolute. Rather, it is realizing that part of grace is freedom from the prison of guilt and regret. It is here that the practice of “Oh, well…” comes most sharply into focus—Oh, well means walking away when that is truly the best option. It is also an acceptance that imperfection will be with us. It offers us the opportunity to accept defeat, but then work toward the next success. The past is simply that—the past—it forms our experience, our wisdom, and our understanding, but it is most surely effective as a tool when we use it now. Now we can avoid a previous mistake. Now we can keep from repeating the same misstep. Now we can practice what trial and error taught us. 

What begins to come into focus is the necessity of staying present. But what also comes is the liberation of now. Now is wide open. We can do with this moment what we will because it is ours. We don’t want to waste it on things already done. We don’t want to miss it lost in tomorrow that won’t be here until tomorrow. Stay here. Stay present. It is a gift to use however you will. It is also an opportunity to be whom you want to be. In this moment, focused only on this moment, you can be exactly whom you always wanted to be, hoped to be, and can be. That is freedom that is nearly total. 

So, in a simple sentence, Jesus outlines the context for any and all faith praxis.