Living in the Present

Our culture and our very nature continually draw us away from living in the present. The majority of our thoughts are in the future, and the rest seem intent on reliving the past - good or bad. God is known in the present. Why would we want to live anywhere else?

The following entry from Fr. Michael of Holy Nativity Orthodox Church was a great encouragement to me.

We are all tempted at various times to think that if the conditions of our life were different, we could serve God better. This is not wisdom. Right now, where you are, in the condition of your life today, you not only can serve God, but it is also the only way you can serve God. A sick man can not serve God as a healthy man, for he is not a healthy man. To put off full-hearted devotion to God until circumstances change is to waste your life in procrastination. - Fr. Michael

"The general gifts consist of the four elements and all that results from them, all the wonderful and awesome works of God outlined in Holy Scripture. The particular gifts are those gifts which God bestows upon every man individually, whether it be riches for the sake of charity, or poverty for the sake of patience with humility; whether it be authority for the sake of justice and the strengthening of virtues, or subjugation and slavery for the sake of the expeditious salvation of the soul; be it health for the sake of helping the infirm, or illness for the sake of the wreath of patience; be it understanding and skill in gaining wealth for the sake of virtue, or weakness and lack of skill for the sake of submissive humility. Even though they appear contrary to one another, all these are very good according to their purpose." - Saint Peter Damascene