Chasing that next dream

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself.
Matthew 6:34

My cousin runs East of Scotland Microlights and when we holidayed in Edinburgh last October he finally persuaded me to go for a flight with him. To my amazement I found I thoroughly enjoyed the flight – it was like being on a motorbike but with no trees, cars or safety barriers to hit! The decision was made, I have to learn to fly.

With a bit of work I sorted out three weeks of leave in the spring and set about getting a medical certificate from my GP. A medical certificate should have been easy, but it seems not to have been. So I’ve been involved in a frustrating 2 month multi-visit discussion as we work through various issues.

After the last visit I was despondent as without the medical I can’t solo, and if I can’t solo then I can’t get my licence and I was on the verge of cancelling the whole trip. Then I had an email from my cousin’s wife. She emailed about those who pass their test, get a licence, buy into a microlight and then park it in the hanger waiting for the perfect weather to fly it, whilst it just sits there unused.

As I pondered this I realised that I was focussed on the destination, the licence, rather than the journey, learning to fly. I then remembered the words of Jesus quoted above. The process of learning to fly is part of the journey. On that journey I will get to spend three weeks with my cousin and his wife who so tragically lost his 21 year old daughter to suicide last year – there are fantastic opportunities to spend time with them, to simply be with them in their grief, and maybe to bring some of the goodness of God’s kingdom into their lives. Then, of course, there is the sheer fun of the lessons themselves.

It didn’t take much to realise that this lesson applies to so much more of life than this unique opportunity. Many of us live wishing or waiting for the better things of tomorrow. By being focussed on tomorrow, we fail to follow Jesus’ command to live in today. We rob God of some of what we can offer as our minds are elsewhere rather than here and now.

A focus on tomorrow leaves us living in disappointment and discontent and wishing we were elsewhere instead of enjoying where we are now. So let’s take a moment at the start of this month to commit to God that we will live in today, and enjoy the day that he has made, and leave tomorrow in his safe hands.