Can you live "one day at a time"? Does the past drag you down, or the future worry you? If expectations and obligations set your agenda, what do you have to give up to truly experience the present moment? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, p. 573).
When
I was a kid I much enjoyed the story about the grasshopper and the
ants. I even had a phonograph record with a catchy tune relating the
wisdom of the ants who stored up food for the winter compared to the shortsighted
action of the grasshopper who did not. All my life I have much
identified with the ants and their recognized need to prepare for the
future. Of course, at this time of my life the future is largely
here. There is a sense in which the rest of my life will depend upon
the resources I have already stored up. For me economically this is
largely represented by a pension and social security. Since there is
no need for me to get further formal education in preparing for the
future, I now much more resemble the grasshopper in enjoying the
intellectual feast of the present. Time has now shifted my perception
to align more with that of the grasshopper. I want to enjoy each day
to the fullest and to appreciate the precious sense in which my time
left on earth is relatively short, hence the value of every moment. I
think the wisdom of the grasshopper and ants story is that the ants
(with their preoccupation with the future and the need to work) and
the grasshopper (with his appreciation of fun) both have their place
in the story of life.
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