SPLASH!  The cold water now drenching my running shoes yanked me back into reality. I was outside with my four-year-old son watching him play with water balloons. He was getting a big kick out of filling them up and throwing them at the brick wall of the house and the bed of my pick-up. Him turning his aim on me came as quite a surprise.

Why was it such a shock? After all, I was standing within five feet of him. Because, while I was physically present, my mind was a million miles away consumed with the many future commitments rolling around in my head. Instead of sharing in my son’s joy, I was mired down in the pressures of events yet-to-come. I was missing out big time. What a shame.

Peace and joy are experienced in the here and now. You can’t schedule them like you would a hair cut. They are what happen when you free your mind of past pain and future plans. So often when experiencing a divorce, the intense pain and pressures of that experience rob you of peace and joy. The only true reality is the one you are living in the present moment. If you want more peace and joy in your life, start right now by focusing on how God is blessing you today, right here, right now.

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take of itself.  – Matthew 6:34

Originally posted 2014-06-26 06:00:05.