Daily Delight

All of my life, I’ve loved to wish away the moment. Whether it be the mountain, the storm or the desert, I find it so dangerously easy to find comfort in the whim of the future; the dream that defines what it will be like “when I’m not struggling with this” or “when I’ve accomplished this, then...”

This whole week, all I have wanted to do is to escape my current struggles so that I can just breathe again, that I can just be ‘happier’. I know it’s not wrong to be expectant of the future, but that expectancy has been governing the way I’ve acted, to the extent that I have avoided being present with the people around me. And that mindset of “escaping reality” can so easily become a habit.

Sisters, sometimes we need to just take a second; to step back into the mindset of presence, of seeking Him now. Allowing the anxiety of future ‘happiness’ to govern your thoughts dissuades you from being fully present. You miss out on the goodness that God has intricately woven into your daily moments — things that are so often of His kindness and grace, of Him revealing His heart and character to you in tough times. We aren’t meant to have fear in facing the struggles we have now. For, we have a hope in which both our present and our future are secure in the salvation that our Father freely gives to us. 

Christ died so that we can experience eternity now, in the present. We can seek His presence in this very moment, this very second.

I feel so challenged and convicted by this, and maybe it’s something God is prompting you of, too. Let our prayer be that we wouldn’t fear the present and the struggles right before us. Let’s actively seek out the glory and goodness that our Father graces us with every day. Yes, we were created to think of the glorious future ahead, but He wants us to experience His presence now. That’s what He died for. So my prayer, dear sisters: “Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders” (Psalm 119:18 MSG). 

Let’s choose to be present so that we might be expectant of the beauty He can reveal to us now, amidst our struggles. 

{photo: @jordanamae}

About the Author

Jess Palmer

Jess is a designer and innovator in Pretoria, South Africa. Her heart is to express the beauty of our Father’s heart through all forms of art, but mainly through her design, poetry and photography. She desires to invest in the lives of people around her — to journey with them in cultivating their God-given potential. If anywhere, you will find Jess musing in a coffee shop or wandering contemplatively in a garden.

Her blog: https://astrangerhereblog.wordpress.com/

Check out her design on Instagram: @salt.seed