Two weeks ago I was on vacation in the Keys. Not a worry in the world. One afternoon I was watching palm trees with green stalks blow in the breeze. I was drinking a tropical beverage in a tall cold glass that dripped icy condensation. Total relaxation. I was living the motto of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now." But then, from out of nowhere, a thought popped into my mind: “How long until we need to buy a new car? How long will the current car last? Will we have enough money when the time comes?” Suddenly, without warning, my icy beverage no longer tasted so good. The palm trees lost their luster. Relaxation crumbled like a house of cards—all because I could not stay in the moment. All because my mind went racing to a future that may—or may not—exist. If only I could have been more like Jesus as I basked in the sun: “Do not worry about your life,” said Jesus, “what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and body more than clothing.”
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