One Day's Trouble

When we find ourselves in a season of trouble, it always seems like it will never end.  These troubling days are certainly no exception to the rule.  Not even the experts can predict how long the new normal is going to be the status quo and no one is ready to say that the worst is behind us.  One of the things peculiar to the difficulties of these days is that we are separated from our supporting communities of people.  As we look for encouragement until the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen, we find ourselves searching all over the place for words to keep us going.

 

One word from Holy Scripture which has always been a real blessing to me in hard times is found in the 34th verse of the 6th chapter of Matthew.  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount in which we are admonished to live without worry, we hear Jesus saying, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today's trouble is enough for today."  I remember finding that verse back in my high school days and it is one to which I have gone many times throughout these years of living.

 

What we often do when we are going through troubling days is to look too far ahead.  We can spend so much time wondering about  "what might happen" that we are unable to cope with what is around us in the present moment.  One of the pieces of advice which comes from most groups like AA has to do with living one day at a time.  Not too many difficult things in life can be handled by lumping all the days together in a management plan.  One day at a time is enough even for the best of us.  Jesus agrees.  One day's trouble is enough for today.  And, that one day is today. What He calls us to do is to pay attention to the only moment we have which is the present moment.  As for all that is ahead, He calls us to trust Him to handle it.