“We get so focused on then and there that we don’t really enjoy here and now.”

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2015-10-06) from his book, If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God's What If Possibilities (Kindle Location 1645). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Margaret and I have been going through an unsettling time in the last month. A little over 7 years ago Margaret had cancer surgery and everything turned out great but we had this month a situation that made us think that it may have come back. We have since found that it hasn’t but we had some difficult days there for awhile. On one of those days we both were going through some what if despair. At one point I said this is not right. If you do have cancer then let’s not waste one hour of our time together in despair and if you don’t then let’s not waste one hour we have together in despair.

But we live so much in the then and there that we miss the here and now. Mark says, “No matter what stage of life you’re in— enjoy the journey! If you need what’s next to make you happy— no matter what next is— you suffer from destination disease. We get so focused on then and there that we don’t really enjoy here and now.”

He goes on, “When I go to college, when I graduate from college, when I get a job, when I get a promotion, when I retire, when I get married, when we have kids— then I’ll be happy. No, no you won’t. It’s a mirage! If you aren’t happy where you are, a vacation won’t solve your problems. If you aren’t happy with who you are, Botox won’t work.”

He then says, “As I see it, there are two proverbial roads you can take. The shortcut is the path of least resistance. It’s well traveled, but it’s like rush-hour traffic in DC. No fun! The scenic route is the road less traveled. It takes longer, and it’s an uphill climb both ways. But the view from the top is spectacular. How do you get there? The same way you get anywhere: one step at a time.”

Yes, you need goals. But please, please don’t waste each moment of your day with despair. Remember, this day, this moment was made by God, so stop, enjoy it and be glad.

So what is your day like today?

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