In the NOW moment

I am a very schedule driven person. It helps me get things done and compensates for the ADHD brain. It is too easy for me to get distracted, quickly going off task, and ending up farther down the rabbit hole chasing a squirrel that didn’t even exist. I put things on my calendar that most people don’t. I tend to double book if I don’t, or forget until the last minute and then run late. The structure helps me. However, I tend to over schedule and leave little room for margin during busy times.

God has been dealing me with me about my schedule. This is an ongoing thing, but lately it has been about being available for God-opportunities. He has taught me to be present in the moment. He has taught me to obey when he speaks. But being available for the little things I often miss because of my jam-packed schedule.

I was thinking about that as I set out for vacation. I decided to look for opportunities NOW and be in the moment and serve others. I was surprised at how quickly opportunities came. Nothing earth shattering, but for me out of the norm.

I visited the entire trip with the person sitting next to me. She shared her life with me. While this is nothing new for me as a therapist, it is new for me on a plane. I had planned to listen to a fictional book I had saved just for this flight. I figured she needed to talk, as she told me she typically didn’t say a lot. We talked about her job, her children, grand children and travels.

When we landed I was surprised that my connecting flight was just across the way. I settled in and thought this might be an uneventful trip. A young lady that clearly did not speak English came to me seeking help to make sure she was in the right place. Despite the language barrier, I was able to help her.

Our flight was delayed, which was a whole story in and of itself, as we boarded the plane, taxied, returned to the gate, sat a while, exited the plane. Were eventually moved to another gate, and then a third gate. People were disgruntled and confused. I listened carefully to the instructions so I was able to once again help others know what was going on. This happened time and time again during this three hour time period.

God allowed me to keep the perspective that there was a reason for the delay. Safety is more important. There was a purpose to His delay. It may have looked like the airline was having problems, but I felt His hand was actually at work, for me and others who were on the flight. I visited with an oil worker who was struggling with getting back to work following short term disability.

Later my friend and I were talking with a couple on our tour and he also shared about the NOW moment and being available for God to use us. I felt like it was a confirmation for me. The husband also said that it was a confirmation for him on things that God was showing him. I couldn’t help but feel like it was just another God-opportunity.

My friend likes to be early for most everything. She is the type who gets to work an hour before her shift begins so that she can be ready when it is time to start. I am the type that is okay with being there one minute before, but often running late because I didn’t give myself enough time. She showed me on this trip the importance of the margin and how easy it can be to create. I can’t promise that I won’t still push work to the last minute, but I can see the importance of creating the margin to allow for the NOW moments for God’s opportunities.