Vistas

I always thought I knew what life was going to be like when I arrived at an age.  I had a grasp of what it would be like to get married.  I knew I understood how parenthood would turn out.  Even my aging years were scripted well.  Everything was a mosaic and I had the keys!
As I reflect on the eve of a turning point in my life, I have come to realize that very little of what I imagined has unfolded.  I do not have any particular regrets, just an ongoing sense of wonder and surprise.  If I were to give any advice to myself when I was young, it would be along the following lines.
As you face the future, look to enjoy, revel, and live in the moment as it is.  Analyzing why the present is different than you imagined is a waste of time!  Go with life.  Seize the unfolding moments.
Learn from yesterday but never be constrained or bound by the past.  Anger, frustration, and demands for justice are often evil emotions.  Life is bigger than any individual and yet, each can touch others in a way that is uniquely God.
Listen to life.  See the moment at hand.  Pay attention to the details.  Allow the awe, beauty, and wonder of the present to nurture your soul.  God is reaching out to you through the individuals in your life, the events that are unfolding, and in your experiences.
There are those before us that have taken this approach.  When Peter was confronted by “something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes at its four corners [that] settled on the ground.  Every kind of animal and reptile and bird you could think of was on it.”  (Acts 10.12)  He opened himself up and his life changed in ways he never imagined.
Today may not be that crazy, yet it will be filled with the unexpected.  Each moment is an opportunity to live with God, make a difference, and realize what heaven can be.  Each is a wonderful vista, enjoy.