The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.
-Abraham Lincoln
Can you imagine how you would react if six months before the Covid-19 pandemic someone told you that schools across our country would shut down, churches would be closed to worship, and the economy would grind to a halt?
How would you feel if you knew people would be confined indoors for long stretches, hospitals would have to prioritize who they can treat, masks would be required to go into public spaces, there would be a shortage of coins, and the "tiger king" would become an instant celebrity?
And, all of this would be due to a virus!
You would probably be like, "Yeah. That sounds like the storyline of a good science fiction movie like I Am Legend, but it won't happen in the real world."
The reality is most of us don't have the capacity or bandwidth to process changes of this scale all at once. So thankfully (although it seemed fast), all of this didn't happen at once either.
The future comes one day at a time -- and that's about what we can handle.
That's why I've always found such wisdom and encouragement from a conversation that Jesus had with some of his anxiety-ridden followers who were worked up over similar issues in their lives.
During the conversation, he said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34)
It's incredible that those words were written 2,000 years ago and are as valid and relevant as ever. But, it's also true that no matter how many times I've read this, it often still feels impossible for me to NOT worry.
Why do I do this? Why do you do this? Well, we tend to look at the news, interest rates, the weather forecast, or even our 401Ks and consider all of the what-ifs that spring from our fears about the future.
Our son is currently going through a season in his own life as he serves in the military that involves all kinds of unknowns. As parents, we continually struggle with very real concerns related to this and, yes. At times we worry. I was having a conversation with my wife this morning during our prayer time.
And as a co-struggler in this process, let me encourage you. Don't take on worries about the future. You know as well as I that worry will rob you of all the good found in the present moments right in front of you. And what's more, worry is a waste of your time and energy anyway. The statistics prove it.
Here's what Psychology Today has to say about worrying -- "A whopping 91 percent of worries were false alarms. And of the remaining 9 percent of worries that did come true, the outcome was better than expected about a third of the time. For about one in four participants, exactly zero of their worries materialized."
So what should we do?
Take your time and your energy and invest it into today's pursuits. Swap worry with gratitude. Look for the good in each situation and give today your best shot. Be present in each moment and make this a day that you are genuinely proud to live.
And when tomorrow comes, do it all over again. You'll find that as you take on today with eagerness and fervor, you won't have time to worry about anything beyond that.
It took a long time for today to arrive finally, and before you know it, it will be gone.
Live today well.
