The future happens to us all

Happy New Year!! – by the way, the Future happens to us all.

The first month of the new year is almost gone, so it’s getting a wee bit late for me to shout Happy “New” year, how ever the fact remains that 2006 is the immediate past year, and that 2007 – the current year is the Present… and today is the Now. Enjoy the Now and may your tomorrow be beautiful. Welcome to Soulfood, this a blog for sharing my thoughts, inspirations, encouragement and words impressed on my heart. If you have been encouraged, or found inspirations in some way from this blog, please feel free to share with others. Your comments and contributions are equally welcome. Thank You and God bless.

Talking about old year and new year – the reality of transition from one year to another, most times brings about need to take stock (for me at least) of goals set, goals met or unachieved, some started but not completed or even discarded, of high moments, very low moments and so on. Towards the end of last year, I felt anxious about the year coming ahead. What is it going to be like, what is coming?... and all of a sudden, it felt like the old year should not come to an end, not because it had been the best of years, but more out of the anxiety of what is to come….the age old fear of the unknown…another rollercoaster, another bright start?? And what next really??

Through it all, I’ve come to realise that no matter what I do, the future is someday going to become the now, as a matter of fact the future no matter how distant we think it is, happens to every living being every three hundred and sixty seconds (ok, I’ve phrased that in my own words, but I got that from a book by C.S Lewis – The Screwtape Letters). I realise that my finite mind cannot exactly determine what comes next – please hear me out. I do have a privilege of remembering what was, and the Grace to experience what is….I do not have the capacity to determine what will be. Yes, I have the power to imagine, to plan, to make the right choices, to give my best, to analyse, to dream or to even worry about what might be.


With the power to imagine, dream, plan etc….also comes the drive to actualise the dreams, or the fear of failing, the anxiety of “what-ifs”, the “reality” of new policies (that may or may not appear favourable), legislations, budgets, bills, and all endless lists of “legitimate” concerns (“legitimate” concerns -credits to one of my friends). All of these pull and tug at different times…..and so there are days of immense courage and days of absolute anxiety…days of fear, days of hope. And sometimes, it feels like life is being lived on the edge. The truth however is that for as long as life is,there will always be goals to meet, plans to make, dreams to dream, mountains to climb, challenges to take on, bills to pay – there will be changes in times, seasons, policies and all. There is absolutely NOTHING new under the sun. I realise that I can choose to focus on the "what-ifs" and all concerns, ponder over them, make them big or make them small in my mind, wish them away, think positively, bury my head in the sand etc and most of all I realise that I can choose to reset my focus to where it was meant to be and set my mind on God - He sees and knows what the future holds.

When I choose to focus on Him who lives in eternity, who sees the past, who is in my now and already in my future, then all plans, visions and dreams reside in Him, and every fear or anxiety becomes shadows in His light!!, and I know that shadows don’t bite, don’t talk, don’t harm - That IS the reality. When God becomes The Focus, everything else falls into position. When God is magnified in my life through my thoughts, my actions, my speech and in all I do, everything else is seen in their true perspective.

Concerns , issues etc will try to occupy and fillout the mind and make themselves bigger than they are, but I know only God is should be magnified- the one by whom all things consist. Why should God be magnified? because, no matter how big I think He is, He is actually bigger...He is bigger than I can ever imagine Him to be, and the truth is, He cannot be magnified enough. The scripture mentions that God sits above the circle of the earth, and the people below seem like grasshoppers to Him!, He created the stars and calls each one by their names –Isaiah 40:22, 26. What a mighty God He is.

The reality is that beyond the sun, is He who lives in eternity, who is not limited by time, distance, policies, conditions or anything whatsoever, He who is the help from ages past, a present help in the time of need and the bright hope for tomorrow. He who rules and reigns in the affairs of men. I realise that His word is accurate and complete, -“Be anxious for NOTHING, but in everything by prayer, and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” – Phil 4:6 -7

Be thankful for the Present, the Gift of Now…..

The Lord is near unto all them that call upon Him in truth. Don’t think that He is unable to help or deliver, don’t even consider it – “How can you say the Lord does not see your troubles, how can you say God ignores your right? Have you not heard? Do you not understand? The Lord is the everlasting God (He has no end!!), the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary; no one can measure the depth of His understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion, but those who trust in the Lord will find new strength, they will soar high on wings like eagles, they will run an not grow weary, they will walk and not faint”. – Isaiah 40: 27-31 (NLT).

May your strength be renewed!!

Just sharing …..