You’ve probably noticed how your shadow changes throughout the day. It may be long in the morning or evening but short when the sun is overhead. It would be a mistake to judge the size of an object by the size of the shadow. Yet many of us are afraid of our shadow.
That’s one of the reasons it is suggested that we focus our energy on the present moment. It’s what we pray for when we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
However, many of us live in the “shadow world” of yesterday and tomorrow. We are guilty or ashamed of what happened yesterday, and we fear what tomorrow might bring, or of what someone may think of us tomorrow, or what my boss might want because s/he wants to see me in her office.
By staying in today, in this moment, we learn that our life is much easier. Our shadow is much smaller when the sun is overhead We have spent so much of our time worrying about the past and the future. It’s a difficult habit to break. No matter what I do or think, I cannot change a moment of yesterday. No matter what I do, I cannot control tomorrow until tomorrow gets here. And then we may not be able to control anything but ourselves. Learning to do that is a lifetime job.
Lord, help me learn to live in the holiness of this moment. Let me be grateful for the blessings of now. I believe that you give us the grace necessary to handle whatever is happening right now.
