Time Travel is not just fuel for driving plots in science-fiction movies. It’s a hot topic of theoretical physics, and more. In fact, each of us have our own time machine – constructed of our awareness of the present – our memories of the past and our dreams of the future.

Think about it: the present smell of cinnamon and apples baking in a pie, right this minute – can whisk you away, back to a warm kitchen of yesteryear.

Or you hear a song and are transported, instantly, to another place – a different time.

You think of the future – and tomorrow’s wish gets projected tonight, on shooting stars.

So, why am I rhapsodizing about time?

There are ideas to be shared that I think are important, and that I may not have expressed clearly enough, as yet.

In our exploration of different therapies we have learned how important it is for us to be able to focus on the here-and-now. We have called it mindfulness.

We understand that being mindful of the present is critical for our ability to notice and act upon the moments of our lives.

Our power to effect change lives in the present.

We can’t change one thing from the past; a word – said or left un-spoken, what we have done – or left un-done.

We can’t change the history of the past five years, or five minutes, or even five seconds. Although many of us would welcome a do over, it’s simply not possible.

Emily Dickinson once said “Forever is composed of nows.” She is right.

The Good Stuff – Now and Then:

Thus far, everything we have said, in contemplating therapeutic strategies is also true – but it is not the whole story.

I want to carefully suggest that we keep living in the moment – in that series of ‘nows’ that we have been blessed with.

But I also want us to spend a few moments reflecting on the rest of our stories. We do need to value yesterday, and ponder tomorrow. These are not contradictory acts.

Memory is our time machine to the past – and while we can’t live there – we can recognize the many treasures we buried there.

We can leave alone the garbage we’ve buried, but lessons we learned, from hard-won experiences in our past, can be very valuable.

We can, and should use that wisdom in our present moments. Skills and truth that we have developed is profitable.

Reminding ourselves of a past victory or simple survival of past crisis can serve to strengthen us in the moment of present need.

In the hopeless moment of feeling … “I can’t do this”, we can remind ourselves that, by the grace of God, we did do ‘it’, or something just as difficult, in the past.

We can dust off the evidence of success that we have been collecting – and truthfully, confidently, say to ourselves… “I made it through _______, so I know can survive this.”

We can remember moments of Divine intervention, in the past – and know that there is no limit on what God can do in the future.

Benefits:

The benefits of this kind of remembering are so powerful that God himself told us to memorialize significant events and milestones. In old-testament times, the people were directed to set up stones for memorials of important events they had survived or accomplished, for just that reason. These memorials were constructed to honor God. They also encouraged and strengthened the people.

In our society we venerate the Lincoln and World War II memorials. We honor veterans at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, and others at the 9/11 and Pentagon Memorials.

When we visit these memorials, we remember what occurred, what was given or taken, and those who gave all. As we do, we find strength and renewal of our present day commitment to the values we hold dear.

It’s all good:

So, while we are instructed to forget what has gone before and press on toward the mark of the higher calling in Christ – reaching for what lies ahead (Philippians. 3:12-14) – we are also advised and encouraged to learn from the past, and to use memories for encouragement, to ponder wisdom, and practice gratitude. This is not a contradiction.

We are reminded that our power lives in the present moment. We can’t spend too much time in the past or risk getting ‘stuck’ in looking back with either longing, or regret. But we can take our lessons and our gratitude with us – keeping them handy and making good use of them as we go.

God’s Power – and – Our Potential:

Other verses are important for believers to understand and remember.

God used the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet to describe Himself. In Revelation 1:8 He said:

 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

In Hebrews 13:8 we are assured: “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

These verses help us understand Eternal God’s relationship with time. He isn’t limited by our finite, and narrow concepts.

We mark our days and hours. And we aren’t equipped to carry the load of past concerns – or the uncertainties of the future …

This is why our therapies advise that we focus on Present Moment awareness (Mindfulness). However, even with our best intentions, and efforts with this practice – we all get off track. Our thoughts drift – but it’s OK.  We can get back on track.

God knows we will be drawn into past or future anxious thoughts from time to time. He can, and He will, be there with us. He can move with us through our past, our present, and on into our futures.  As we wonder about tomorrow – He’s already there.

 Be encouraged – we need not struggle with our efforts to control our thoughts, or worry about failures in practicing mindfulness. We can simply continue – and re-focus.

It is important that we learn all that we can, and invest our coping skills in the best uses possible. It is equally important that we know the promise of one more verse about time …  Matthew 28:20

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Preview:

In future posts we will add a few Crisis Management highlights from ACT, and briefly review Distress Tolerance Skills from DBT. We can make good use of these resources.

We will share important insights about Suicide Prevention, and explore a variety of universal personal strategies. And then launch into our next category of Social skills, strategies and strengths for overcoming Depression and Anxiety.

Stay with me.

Till next time – Blessings, Love and Laughter to you,

Marge

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