Treasures—right where we are

How often lately have you heard the admonition, "Be here now" or "Live in the moment"? It's good advice, really. And not always easy to do.

I really like what writer and now-deceased Roman Catholic priest Henri J.M. Nouwen said about patience and being present to the moment:

"Patience is not waiting passively until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand."

OK, if you're like me, you'll need to read that again. And perhaps yet again—to really get the depth and breadth of what Nouwen was saying. I'm as guilty as anyone of being impatient, of wanting to move beyond the present moment into one that I am just sure holds the "good stuff." But what if it's as Nouwen says and "the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand" right now?

It's difficult, but not impossible, to live in a different way than our usual "get this done and move on to the next thing" style. I am going to keep trying to live more in the moment—and to do so more fully. I think it'll be worth the effort, don't you?