Live In The Present

There is so much I would like to tell that 14-16 year old girl in the pictures. As far back as I can remember I have always been a dreamer with a huge imagination. Around the age of thirteen or fourteen I spent more time living in a fantasy of what I wanted my life to be as an adult that I missed a lot of the joys of living in the present of being a teen. Around 14-15 I begin reading the ever popular Christian dating books on saying no to dating and finding the right person.  That was around the age I began reading as many of my Grandma’s Christian romance novels as I possibly could, and watching Disney channel original movies where the girl always found the guy who and I quote one of my favorites “you saw me when I was invisible.” 

My world revolved around wanting to grow up before it was time, planning how my life would be when I became an adult, looking for Mr. Right, waiting for my Prince Charming, my Knight in shinning armor to knock on my front door, walk through the doors of Church, meet online, at a concert or run into each other at the grocery store.  

As a young adult I discovered Hallmark movies that fed the romantic in me leaving an ever increasing desire to find “The One.” 

Before the age of 16 I had my life planned. Finish school, go on tour singing, be in ministry, get married, have children and homeschool them.  I am in my thirties and can say nothing turned out like I planned. God has a way of doing things in His timing. As I grew older other interests emerged but for the most part my desire to get married and be used of God has never changed.  I’m still a romantic dreaming of the day Mr. Right sweeps me off my feet, however a lot more level headed than the teenage girl who always had her head in the clouds, nose in a book, pen to paper with a song in her heart and in her ears.  

Today I still have a song in my heart or playing in my ears most of the time, I still write and occasionally my head is in the clouds but I discovered life outside of the clouds living in the moment with my feet planted on the ground is much more fulfilling than daydreaming all of the time. I missed so much as a teenager by not living in the present.

Around the age of fifteen and sixteen I became depressed and withdrew from family and friends. I spent a lot of time by myself immersed in my own little world of music, books and planning how my life would be. If I could go back in time and talk to myself at that age I would tell myself to live for today, enjoy it, look around and realize life had already begun, there are joys and adventures to be had as a teenager. Don’t get me wrong I had a lot of happy moments as a teenager, but for the most part I couldn’t wait to grow up. 

I cannot go back to those years, but I can encourage those of you who are teenagers and young adults, don’t rush it! Make plans, dream of the future, but live in the present. 

Most of all put God first, reach out to someone if you are going through a hard time, pray, read the Bible, and live.  Listen to God leading you. Do not let fear control you, learn to overcome your fears, reach for your dreams but leave plenty of room for new dreams and let God guide you. Be prepared in case His plans are not yours or His timing is not yours. He will never fail you.  

If you are older I encourage you to do the same. Don’t spend so much time living in the past that you miss the present and the future. As a teen and part of adulthood I spent to much time in the future that I missed living in the present more than I did, sometime ago I decided to live in the present. Some days I still have to fight old habits to live in the present. I don’t want to wake up at the end of my life and wish I could do it all over again because I didn’t live while I had the chance. Keep God first and live the life He gave you.