Present and Attentive

“Corrie ten Boom once said that if the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy. There’s truth in that. Both sin and busyness have the exact same effect—they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul.”

― John Mark Comer,  The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World

A busy and frantic mind or schedule prevent us from connecting with what matters most. For a Christ-centered and peaceful, stable, growth-oriented existence, we must be remain present and receptive, entrusting tomorrow and all of our earthly cares to God.

Here are five doable ways to intentionally slow down and really engage with each day in front of you:

Take a daily walk in silence

Leave your earbuds at home and absorb your surroundings, hear the birds singing, feel the sun on your shoulders, smell the flowers, open your mind and heart to God. 

This kind of silence foster creativity and problem solving and allows you to descend past your surface level reactiveness into the deeper core of your soul where you meditate on things of eternal significance.  

Create morning and evening rituals that help you start and end each day with peace 

For example, Get up a few minutes earlier to pray, journal, practice mindfulness, etc. At the end of the day, wind down with tea and a book and prayers of gratitude for whatever blessings you experienced that day..

Instead of scarfing down food on the go, sit down when you eat

Thank God for your meal. Taste your food. Feel when your body is satisfied. 

Connect with people

Practice seeing those around you and interacting with them, whether its just a warm smile and eye contact or engaging in a conversation. That connection is so beneficial to our mental and spiritual health and to the health of our communities.

Keep pulling your attention back to the present moment

When the "what ifs" of tomorrow start creating inner turmoil, quiet those noisy ruminations by returning to the here and now. This present moment is our only reality. God meet us here in the day at hand. Tomorrow we will have strength for tomorrow, so for now we just keep doing the next right thing - with faith in God’s providence, with patience, with hope and resilience.