I sit in the early light, touched by a breeze flowing through the apartment. It speaks about the weather on the way. I can feel changes in temperature, sense the rain falling on another part of the island, and revel in the smells that come with a storm. Sometimes the telltales become real and the weather hits. On other occasions, I can see it move and flow across the island without having it touch where I am.
Life is easier when one can anticipate what is going to happen. Early signals, indicators, and alerts are wonderful assurances that let me know I am in charge of my life. It feels good to be in control! I not only know what is going on now, I can anticipate what is coming.
As I think back, reflecting on memories that come to mind, I realize that as often as not, I was caught off guard. I remember anticipating what would come only to find myself surprised by the moment at hand. Even in hindsight, I am not sure that there was a reasonable change of accurately anticipating when and why something would occur. Some of my blindness was the result of categorizing potential events in advance – good, bad, neutral – only to see them quite differently with reflection. Emotional blinders can be powerful. Other contributors included a preoccupation on past or future, creating a limited view of the present. Then there was the challenge of hope or fear. Desires and uncertainty shapes my understanding of what I see.
I am reminded that it is good to live intentionally in the present. The future will be here before I realize it. One writer description fits; “You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over.” (1 Corinthians 15.52)
In the present, I can be available to the voices around me – family, friends and Divinity’s. It is an opportunity to engage in making a difference. Here turning points occur that I will see in reflection.
