The Present I Want

The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:6-9 ESV). The following poem by Jason Lehman, who was 14 years old when he wrote it, was sent to Abigail Van Buren, who after verifying that the poet was indeed a teenager wise beyond his years, published it in her February 14, 1989 column. It is titled “Present Tense.” It was spring, but it was summer I wanted, The warm days, and the great outdoors. It was summer, but it was fall I wanted, The colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air. It was fall, but it was winter I wanted, The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season. It was winter, but it was spring I wanted, The warmth and the blossoming of nature. I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted, The freedom and respect. I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted, To be mature, and sophisticated. I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted, The youth and the free spirit. I was retired, but it was middle age I wanted, The presence of mind without limitations. My life was over, and I never got what I wanted. I have heard it said that to get what we want we must want what we have, when we have it. To appreciate what we have, we must be present to the moment. We must be aware, and awareness requires the practice of stillness and quietness. We must be able to slow down enough to see what is before us. Our attention can't be off in the future or lost in the past. To get what we want, we must be fully present in the here and now. That certainly is the description David gives to us in our reading this morning. There is a stillness that we find in the presence of the Lord when we are quiet. It is the key to experiencing the fullness of the present moment, which is really the only one that we have. In all of our busyness, however, we often overlook it, and life passes us by. Don't let life pass you by. Ensure that you get what you want by appreciating what you have. Learn to be still by finding a way for the daily practice of quietness. Jason Lehman knew at age fourteen that life should be lived in the "Present Tense." Make sure you know as well. Remind yourself: The past is history, the future is a mystery, and today is a gift which is why we call it – the Present. Enjoy your gift of "Today."