“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34
Present Season
Life is often categorized by seasons. Fall, winter, spring and summer are the most obvious seasonal labels. In athlete terms, however, three seasons make up one athletic calendar — post, pre and in season. Now to break it down even further, “in season” for an athlete means three seasons built into one length of competition — regular, conference and postseason play. In layman’s terms, the life of an athlete is programmed with a constant agenda.
One constant throughout all the various seasons is there’s always a schedule. Looking back at my days as a student-athlete, my 24 hours were always pre-planned. There was a certain time to eat, work out, receive treatment, travel … the agenda is infinite. After growing up in an environment where everything was always planned out, it carried over into my life after graduation. My personality is Type A. “A” stands for “advanced to-do lists that seep way too much into my overall wellbeing.”
I’m not sure if you resonate with any of this, but personally I have to ask: In a life so focused and driven on tomorrow, how does one focus solely on today? Recently, when I was preparing for a broadcast in my job, I talked to a coach who was describing the elite level of talent that some of his players possessed. In a nutshell he said, “What enables each of these players to perform at their highest level of play is their ability to be present.” When I heard the words “ability to be present,” a lightbulb activated in my head. To this day, those words resonate with my daily decisions and remind me to be present.
What made those players so talented, especially when put in pressure situations, was their maturity to play freely and trust their preparation. The game of life can often hand us situations we aren’t prepared to tackle. The secret to success is if we live a life in constant communication with the Word of God, then we have the world’s best playbook to activate and follow. Also, as believers, we walk with the empowering Holy Spirit that enables us to conquer each situation and challenge we face.
It’s important to note that the best players never dwelled on what occurred in the past, nor did they look ahead and seek an imaginary outcome. They shrugged off the what-ifs and disregarded futuristic thoughts. They solely focused on playing in the moment. This mindset resulted in positive results for the individual player and team.
How often do we miss an opportunity because we’re too stuck in the past? I wonder how many opportunities I’ve disregarded because I’ve been too caught up in the hustle of my to-do list? God places us in each timely and present situation for a specific purpose. How we tap into that purpose is by renewing our minds to see Jesus in each step. We were created to live by fully relying on Him through each moment.
Release any firm grip on worry and take on a new stride of faith, one step at a time.
— Karlie Smith
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