Enjoying a moment.

It’s amazing how much time we spend preparing to enjoy something. For example, this past August my wife and I took the kids to Chicago for a 4-day weekend. Preparation for that rip began in March, and we spent hours looking for things to do in the Windy City, places to stay, restaurants we wanted to eat at and sites we just “had to see.” We spent a lot of time prepping for this family vacation. I remember at one point during the weekend, while we were walking on Navy Pier and looking at thy skyline as the sun went down, that I was truly just enjoying the moment. We were all together, our stomachs were full from a nice dinner, it was pleasantly warm without humidity, the day had been very fun and some great memories had been made -- and as I stared at skyline that was reflecting the sunset, I was a very satisfied man.

I’ve thought about that day on Navy Pier a few times. I wonder how often I don’t enjoy the moment I’m in because I’ve already moved on to the next thing, or I’m so engaged in creating the moment or just trying to survive the moment. You ever been there? So busy, so distracted or so hurt that you don’t give yourself the chance to enjoy the moment you’re in?

A few years ago, Traci and I were in Hawaii and participating in one of our favorite rituals: watching the sun go down on the west coast of Maui. For the first 20 minutes on the beach I was trying hard to capture the “perfect picture” of a Hawaiian sunset, changing angles, changing my focal point and trying several different filters. I tried some shots from up on the bank, from down close on the water and several random ideas to get that perfect pic.

At one point, I looked up from my camera and realized that most of the people on the beach were sitting or standing with their friends or spouse, and they were all just watching the sun go down and enjoying the moment for what it was -- a beautiful sunset on a beautiful beach. Everyone was surprisingly quiet, almost somber, and the color of the sky reflected off the ocean and on their faces. That’s when I turned around and realized my wife was doing the same -- enjoying the moment -- but without her husband.

I promptly put the camera down, sat down next to my wife and soaked in the remainder of the experience with my favorite person on the planet. And while I never quite captured the perfect photo, I did capture a nearly perfect moment with Traci.

A couple times in my life I’ve taken time to journal every day. Last February I started up again, and I’m taking up a lot of space in this journal unpacking the “moments” of each day; taking time to enjoy the beauty that exists all around me. In this journal, I’m really focusing on the joy of relationships and how much God has blessed me with life-changing friendships. There is so much to enjoy, right now, and when I take time to be in the moment, I don’t have any trouble seeing it.

As you and I strive to live the Overboard Life, let’s not be so focused on the journey, that we miss the scenery on the route. There will always be troubles and challenges to face in this life, but woven into the rugged path is unmatched beauty; beauty that is found in the created world as well as the people that God has brought into our lives. When we quit enjoying the moments, I think it’s easy to quit enjoying the life that God has given us.

Take time today to enjoy the moments that you have. Even when the day is hard, take a moment to look around, and I’m confident you’ll find a person standing by you, a sunset that you almost missed or a good report from a teacher that can encourage your heart.

Go ahead and take the plunge, every moment is better on the water!

3 thoughts about living in the moment

Can you relate to this video? Do you know someone in your life that reminds you of the people in this 2-minute mini-movie?  

In our efforts to live our big dreams, it can be easy to forget to enjoy the process of reaching our God-sized goals. There are so many precious moments along the journey of an Overboard Life, moments that capture God’s love, encourage broken hearts, lift fallen spirits, bring smiles, create laughter, instill hope and strengthen faith, and it’s so easy to miss these moments because we quit looking. Our vision can become so narrow and so focused, that we miss what God is doing all around us.

I hope you are chasing big dreams and goals in 2014, trying to write an even better story than you wrote in 2013. But as you do, don’t forget to enjoy the journey, and to live in the ‘now moments’ that God has graciously given you to enjoy. Here are three thoughts for you about enjoying the journey today, while you work toward something bigger tomorrow!

1. Take time each day, maybe once at lunch and once before bed, to write down the great moments from the day. Every day has great moments. Yes, every day. It could come in the form of a free lunch, an encouraging text or note at just the right time, a verse God gave you to get you through a tough time or through some act of service you performed or was performed for you. Every day has moments where the love and goodness of God is evident on the journey we’re on. Take time each day to record those moments and you will find yourself happier along the way.
2. Intentionally choose to serve others, every day. Sometimes when life is throwing us curveball after curveball, it’s easy to turn our focus entirely inward. We begin to think only about ourselves, our circumstances and the lousy day/week/month we’re having. Take time every day to serve someone else. Take time to intentionally make someone else’s day. It could be a spouse, a child, a co-worker, parent, boss, neighbor, pastor or stranger. By shifting the focus from your circumstances and pursuits, to the circumstances and pursuits of others, you’ll find your own journey is more enjoyable. The first few verses of Philippians 2 tell us that Jesus chose to keep others [you and me!] in his vision while He lived on earth. So He served us, while obeying the Father, when He went to the cross to pay for our sin and brokenness. What was the result? According to Hebrews 12:3, it was joy! Focused service on others helps us enjoy the journey and it’s amazing how often you’ll serve others and find you reach your own destination more quickly!
3. Put down the technology and look around you. I’m not trying to oversimplify this, but our technology driven culture often misses great moments, ironically, in an attempt to capture them digitally. Traci and I were in Hawaii a few years ago and I was obsessed with getting pics of this beautiful sunset we were watching. I wanted to create that perfect Instagram that people would love. After 20 or 30 pics, I nailed it. Only problem? My poor wife wanted to enjoy this romantic moment with her husband sitting beside her. She was hoping to just lean against him as they both relished the beauty of God’s paintbrush while the sun dipped below the horizon. I “captured the moment” on my phone, but totally missed it in life. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to -- I knew I blew it. I made sure the next night was a photo free romantic sunset night -- and I just enjoyed the moment for what it was, not for the comments I’d get on my picture. I’m a techno-geek and love how my life iLife is connected and interconnected. But just like the video above, it can be so easy to “connect” with a facebook audience while totally missing the people right next to you; I mean, literally, the people who are physically right next to you. People in the same house, same room or even sitting at the same table. Put down the tech, and look up -- you’ll see some great moments happening all around you, and you’ll still have plenty of time to take that pic or capture that video.

What are some ways you’ve enjoyed the journey? Got some other thoughts about this? Please share them in the comments and let others know how you enjoy the moments you are living in!

Go ahead and take the plunge, your journey is always better on the water!