We have heard the adage, “Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called ‘the present!'” But how can we BE present when so many distractions are calling us to look forward or to look behind? How do we find the balance between the tenses so that the here and now aren’t completely overlooked in the hubbub of life?

The Truth That Anchors My Soul

As a writer, I personally tend to overthink a lot. I could think all of my productivity away very quickly, becoming discontent because things aren’t turning out the way I had pictured.

Questions pummel around inside my brain.

Will anyone read what I’m writing? How will I ever finish this? Would anyone want to publish this? Am I wrong for writing so much when there are so many other things to do?  Through uncertainty, insecurity, and adversity, the truth that has anchored my soul to the here and now is that Jesus is my Peace.

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

And the verse I quote most often is:

Phil. 4:7. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Remaining in Peace

The Word says Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and so the only way to remain in peace is to remain in His presence. You know, that quiet place where your cares are lifted, and the incredible weight of His love fills up your heart with overwhelming gratitude. So it is from this place of gratitude that all the noise of life is washed away. It is in this peace that we can gain a healthy perspective of how blessed we are, how creative God made us, and how adored we are in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

If you are struggling today to be present in life, choose to be thankful. Choose to let the peace of God saturate every part of who you are, guiding your going and your resting. Step back from the busyness, and take a look at your life through the eyes of Heaven.

At the end of the day, present=presence.

Make time to just be with God. Let your heart be fulfilled in Him. There is no greater joy.

“Today”

Hustle, bustle. Touch and go.
Hurdling too fast now to slow.
Falling, crashing, I don’t care.
It’s all a race to get me there.

Can’t stop moving, can’t be still,
I’ve got momentum, driving will.
But I’m so tired, wearing thin,
I’m knocking hard but can’t get in.

Life is busy, so “they” say,
But I just want to live today.
Can I break it, this routine
Of rushing into the unseen?

Stopping. Breathing. Anchored here,
I block that luring voice of fear.
I hear Your heartbeat in the silence.
I find my resting in Your presence.

Breathing, loving, holding still
All I want? To do Your will.
Hearing, holding, growing strong.
Today was with me all along.

~Erin Parise Sammons

 

---

As a book nerd, crochet-aholic, and creative writer, Erin is an idealist, a dreamer, and a lover of colors! Erin adores her husband and their two baby girls, and her family serves and worships together with the church they are part of. She is obsessed with names and their meanings, and knowing that her name means “peace,” Erin strives to walk in the peace that “guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” through every season of life. Read more on her Blog and FB page.