My eyes looked beyond the steps ahead to where the stairs would lead. I knew there was much more beyond what I could see. Buildings, streets, and busyness were all waiting for me beyond the silence. In the quietness, it was fun to listen to life’s whispers, reminding me of where I place my best attention. One can reflect on one’s attention and focus by looking in the rearview mirror or ahead. One reminds you where you are, the other where you want to be.
Life is lived ahead. I love remembering what was, especially how I see the future with greater clarity and purpose. As much as the past informs, it is simply a record of the details that make up the background for the place where I stand. The best I can do is to look forward with my awareness and learning, learning, growing, and taking the steps towards my dreams. When I look at the models from yesterday, I see that “Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations – the City designed and built by God.” (Hebrews 11.10)
With each step, I make a fresh decision about my direction. I love that I can see beyond. The challenge is that life is not found there; life is all in the present moment. The best I can do right now is what is right. When there are multiple right things, oh, the wonder and joy of reaching for the next step in caring to make a difference. One might want simple, smooth, and effortless choices. Experience reminds me that if it is true, it is not in my lifetime! Life is found in the currents, waves, and ever-changing view of what lies ahead. In accepting what life gives me with an open heart and mind, I find myself standing out in the open, filled with freedom, ready to engage and act.
With each step, I live filled with hope and a sense of possibility. I am thankful for every opportunity today brings. Now is the time.
