The Present of the Present

Many, many years ago, I led a group of folks backpacking in the Shining Rock Wilderness in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. As we began our hike, the weather was dominated by low clouds and a light mist. Visibility was limited to about twenty yards, sometimes less. After passing through one gap, we began to climb. And climb. There was some question as to whether we had missed a turn on the trail. But our map indicated we had not. So, we kept on climbing. Finally, we reached the crest of the ridge where our pulse and respiration returned to more normal levels.

On the trip back out of Shining Rock, we traversed the same route. By this time, however, the clouds had lifted and visibility was normal. We descended the ridge we had struggled up on the way in. Upon reaching the bottom we looked back up at the steepness and height of the ridge. One member of our group was prompted to comment, “If I had known what it was like, I never would have tried it.”

Although there are some occasions when I might wish otherwise, I believe God often graciously limits my vision. In his book, What to Do When You Don’t Know What To Do, Dr. David Jeremiah expressed this idea of focusing on the present in business terms: “Yesterday is a canceled check. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash we have.” This limited foresight is a present, a gift, from God because He knows my inclination to try to look too far ahead, to be overly concerned about the future.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
– Matthew 6:34 (NIV)