By Joseph J. Mazzella
I haven’t worn a watch for a few years now and I must say I don’t miss it. I don’t miss the band rubbing the hair off my wrist. I don’t miss the heat rash it always gave me during the summer. Most of all I don’t miss constantly checking it to see if I am late. Still, when a little girl walked up behind me in the store the other day and asked me what time it was I found my arm going up to my face and my eyes glancing down to my bare wrist. When I caught myself I just smiled, showed my empty wrist to the girl, and said, “Now!”.
For a long time I missed out on the magical moment of NOW. Instead of enjoying it, I wasted my time playing two very destructive games. The first was called, “I’ll be happy when.” In it I would make a list of things I had to have or accomplish in order to be happy. No matter how many ‘of them I achieved, though, happiness never came. And for everyone I crossed off the list I added two more. The second game was called, “If I knew then what I know now.” In it I would look back at the years I had already lived and regret the mistakes I had made in the past. I would also dream of living them over with my current wisdom, but since I knew I couldn’t go back in time I guess I wasn’t being very wise.
Finally, after God had given me more than a few taps on the shoulder and kicks in the butt I realized that I was wasting my precious NOW mourning the past and pining for the future. I saw too that if I wanted a great life and true joy I had to live and love today and let yesterday and tomorrow take care of themselves. They were, after all, just former and future nows.
When is the time to live? Now! When is the time to laugh? Now! When is the time to love? Now! When is the time to do good, help others, share joy, and serve God? Now! Now! Now! Don’t miss out on life then. Live each moment in the eternal, glorious NOW.
