I would often joke around with my friends about how A.D.D. I can be sometimes. I could be doing one thing and suddenly be distracted by another thing and jump straight into that. Lately, it started concerning me because it made me realize that I was never fully present in what I was doing for the moment.

One thing I wanted to work on this year was being fully present in everything I did. I can’t say I’ve been doing a great job at all! I find my mind always wondering about what I need to get done. Who I need to call. Where I need to go. And more often than not, I find myself physically there but mentally checked out—checking back in when I wanted or needed to.

I was that girl who would get very annoyed by people who, when I would be talking to them, they would be looking elsewhere, checking their phone, looking disengaged! Sadly, now I’ve become that person! As I’ve been reflecting on this recently, God dropped this question on my heart—He asked me, “what if I was never fully present when you sought my presence?”

Wow.

Can you imagine God not being fully present with you when you needed Him? When you prayed to Him? When you worshipped Him? What if He allowed the prayers of the 7 billion other people in this world to distract Him from listening to yours? These questions do something to you, don’t they?

Something about that question sobered me and He reminded me, in the same way, when I am not fully present where He has me, I am not giving and receiving what I need to be.

When we are not fully present in our moments, we rob others and ourselves of the now because we invest and expend our energy on a future that is not even there. God showed me that I operated on time that hadn’t even come instead of operating in the time that He’s given me. I found myself being distracted by every other thing instead of what was put in front of me.

When I am with my friends, I need to be fully present—listening, talking, sharing. When I am with my family, I need to be fully present- spending time. Making memories. When I am spending time with God in His presence, I need to be fully present—sharing my heart. Worshiping Him. Praying to Him. Singing to Him. Soaking in Him. Listening to Him.

God and people are deserving of our undivided attention. We can’t allow our interactions to be in a “half-there and half somewhere else” mode. Our full engagement can be the difference between a person receiving their break-through because you gave them your time and your energy. It can be the difference between you coming into God’s calling because you were able to be fully engaged in what He was speaking to you and telling you to do.

I used to fool myself into thinking that being a great multi-tasker was a gift when in reality it was the reason for my lack of ability to be fully present. I can’t multi-task and be fully present at the same time. It’s impossible.

I thank God that He gives us His full and undivided attention. He is our ever PRESENT help in time of need. I thank God that He understands the importance of being fully present in His children’s lives. It’s made all the difference. My prayer is that we learn to immerse ourselves in the NOW moments that we are privileged to have—in our relationships, in our goals, in our seasons, in our circumstances, in our whole life!

Your NOW needs you!

Peace, love, and blessings,
Yodit

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