Today

January 31, 2008 (But really February 3rd)

Since yesterday I did an entry about tomorrow, I think that today I should do one about today. These past few days God has been bombarding me through Scripture, quotes, and sermons about the importance of today. I was looking through my quote book (of quotes I have been collecting over the years though largly neglected the past 5 years) and found several quotes that stuck home again. I thought that I would record a few here.

"Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now." ~Elisabeth Elliott

Excerpts from C.S Lewis in The Screwtape Letters
"Our [devil's] business is to get them away from the eternal and from the present. With this in view, we sometimes tempt a human (say a widow or a scholar) to live in the Past. But this is of limited value... It is far better to make them live in the future... Also it [the future] is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them thinnk of unrealities. In a word, the Future is of all things, the thing least like eternity."
"Gratitude looks to the Past and love to the Present; fear avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead."
"To be sure the Enemy [which in the book is God] wants men to think of the Future too -- just so much asis necessary for now -- planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow... He does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasure in it."

And finally God's Word,

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you will may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.... Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." Hebrews 3:13-15

I think I am being reminded to live each day and face the challenges of the day without getting caught up in worry about tomorrow or in the dream that it will all be so much better.

Since it is now February 3rd when I am finally posting this, a little update. I have moved into my apartment much to my relief. I have a matress to sleep on, a fridge to store food in and a toaster oven to cook in so that is enough to make it livable for now. There are many more details to take care of but at least I am partially settled. I have gotten to go on 2 runs in the area and felt safe. This morning I went to get my license plates and it took only 30 minutes! That is a record for sure. On Saturday I was with my roommate Emily while she "ordered" a gift certificate from a local restaurant. We waited for 45 minutes while they made the certificate, printed it off, and did who knows what else. Needless to say not much got done on Saturday and I was reminded of why I am behind on everything. Right now I am waiting for the oil to get changed and then this afternoon I head out to camp. I had wanted to stay for a few days but I cannot because of meetings I have tomorrow evening for the camp that is happening this weekend. So life continues with a flurry of activity and I try to stay organized, patient, and optomistic in it all.