“Standing here, staying here, permanent here, eternal here, and we have one goal, one, one: To Be.” – Mahmoud Darwish

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.  Always work with it, not against it.” – Eckhart Tolle

“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

“‘There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done – one is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live.” – Dalai Lama

“Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.” – Jesus speaking in the Garden of Gethsemane as recorded in Matthew 26:38 NIV

One of the things I have been more mindful of lately is the need to remain in the moment – to focus on living and embracing what lies directly in front of us.  A few years ago, I wrote about this idea (https://scottallenfranke.com/2024/05/23/choose-now/), but have struggled personally to master the skill.  Being recently semi-retired, I have had more quiet time and more spare time “to be” as Mahmoud Darwish states above.

One of my favorite times of day to do this is first thing in the morning.  I love to simply sit and feel the warm mug of coffee in my hands as I smell the steamy aroma lifting toward my nose.  I cast my gaze outside to watch the wind move through the trees and appreciate the beauty of the sun as it rises gently on the horizon.  The pleasant sound of birds singing reminds me of how God is aware of each of their movements (Matthew 10:29) and how that correlates with his awareness of me and all I face as the day unfolds.  I love to use this time to pray and focus on the Creator, with gratitude and thankfulness for His presence in my life.

But being an imperfect, atypical human being, my mind quickly moves to either my torrid past or my uncertain future – spending too much precious time in moments that have already passed or haven’t yet arrived.  If you are like me, your recollection of the past is often tainted with a skewed personal twist – making it a version that isn’t as clear and truthful as it should be.  The same can be said of my forecasts about the future – focusing on uncertainty or outcomes that may never come to fruition.

We know the Dalai Lama has it right – that today is the right day to live!  But what happens when staying present in the moment is too painful?  What happens when staying here seems impossible?

Are you living like this presently?  Is the physical pain too much to bear?  Is the relationship conflict making it hard to stay?  Is the loneliness brought on by the death of a loved one making the present hopeless and filled with grief? Is the trials and hardships your child is facing too unbearable to watch right now?

In the Bible verse mentioned above, Jesus knew exactly how this felt.  Matthew records that Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow – so much so that he felt the weightiness of death upon him.  Think about the gravity of that present moment and just how unbearable it was.

What do we do my friend when life becomes this overwhelming?  How do we remain present?

“Stay Here and Keep Watch with Me”

Jesus knew the importance of fellowship in present moments like this.  He asked his closest companions to stay by his side.  He knew their sheer presence would help – to simply sit and keep watch with him.

As you sit amid painful present moments, seek out friends and family who will be present with you.  It isn’t a sign of weakness, but one of strength when we know we need help or support. 

My friends, if you know someone who is experiencing an unbearable difficulty in this present moment, help them by simply being present with them – letting them know they are not alone.

Accept it as if you Chose it – Working with it and not Against it

Shortly after asking his disciples to stay with him, Jesus prayed to the Father:

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Luke 22:42 NLT

Often when the present moments are filled with suffering, we fail to remember our omniscient and omnipotent God has the allowed this moment to enter our life.  Jesus knew the suffering served God’s ultimate purposes and he relinquished His desired outcomes to the Father’s will for him.

This is “working with it and not against it” as Eckhart Tolle suggests above.  When I have experienced present moments like this in my own life, I have often fought and mentally struggled against them – toiling over why God would allow such hardship within my circumstances.  This exacerbated and intensified the pain.  I distrusted in a sovereign, loving God’s grace and providence versus faithfully being assured that God was in control when everything seemed as if it was spinning out of control.

Realizing it is the Door to All Moments

I love the quote above from Thich Nhat Hanh that helps us to see that ONLY the present moment is the doorway to all moments. 

Right now, is the only moment that gives us access to all the other moments that a loving God has laid out for us.  We never, never know what lies in store for us, but we can be assured that as we pass through the doorway of this present moment, God is already on the other side – having gone through the threshold before us!  Nothing, my friend, is impossible for him!  The present, painful moments can miraculously change for us in an instant!

And if they never do my friend, we can rest in the assurance that God’s presence will never change, and we can find joy and peace in this alone.

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” – Psalm 16:11 NLT

 “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20 NLT

“For He has said, “I WILL NEVER [under any circumstances] DESERT YOU [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], NOR WILL I FORSAKE or LET YOU DOWN or RELAX MY HOLD ON YOU [assuredly not]!” – Hebrews 13:5 Amplified Bible

May God reveal His presence to you in the difficult moments of life. We are never alone my friend, never.