Live today, not tomorrow

Today is a day that will not come again - you have but one chance to live it, so live it well. A lot of people focus so much on living today to make a "good tomorrow" that they miss what is going on around them right here and now. One day, Ferris Bueller took a day off from school - ditched classes to just live his day to the fullest. A quote from the movie sums up why he did what he did: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." I don't condone ditching class, but the point is made - life comes at us at speeds often exceeding our own ability to keep up and before we know it, we have witnessed opportunity after opportunity to pass us by without any guarantee they will come our way again.

13 Some of you say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to some city. We will stay there a year, do business, and make money.” Listen, think about this: 14 You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a fog. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away. 15 So you should say, “If the Lord wants, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 ERV)

The saying, "Lord willing and the creek don't rise," might actually be a play on words from the Book of James. The saying goes one step further, though. It indicates we will do something provided there is no obstacle that is placed in our path. I don't know about you, but life comes at me full of obstacles - I don't get too many opportunities without some type of obstacle smack-dab in my way of the opportunity! There are always going to be "unforeseen circumstances" in life - plan as we might, not all opportunities will just fall into our lap, come about as planned, and work out to our benefit. Life is work - it must be lived with intent.

God brings opportunities our way, not so much because we always deserve them, but because he has "designs" in those opportunities. Not all opportunities will be seen as "enjoyable" or "good" - some are given because we need to come to terms with an element of stubbornness on our part, or remedy some riff in a relationship caused by some selfish action. These are the ones we have to "work at" a little more than the ones we label as "good" or "enjoyable". We cannot always plan that moment of reconciliation, but when God is in control of the plans, the moment will come and we better be ready!

I don't know what opportunities will come your way today - but life isn't going to be without obstacles. Some of those opportunities you are given might require some maneuvering around, or complete removal of those obstacles in order to realize the fulfillment of the opportunity God has planned for us. We might have to pay attention a little closer to the opportunities in our path and a little less on the ones down the path if we are to realize the full benefit of the path! Just sayin!