Have You Tried Unplugging It?, September 8
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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By Dan Held
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34a NIV).
I am not the person anyone should turn to for tech support. When God created earthly geeks, I may have been the last person He had in mind. My only advice, should anyone have the misfortune of asking me for such, would be, “Have you tried unplugging it?” Beyond that I’m not often sure what to suggest. If you’ve already tried rebooting, then I don’t know.
As a caregiver for my wife when dealing with her cancer, I find myself overlooking the obvious more often than not. I forget the simple in my quest for the complex. I overthink things. I worry too much about the future, and those worries rob me of our presence together in the blessed moment. What I need is for someone to ask if I’ve tried unplugging or rebooting.
Someone like Jesus.
Jesus gave advice to His disciples that was at times most simple and direct. Sure, He used parables quite often to illustrate the complex, but at other times He kept it short and simple—as when He advised His disciples to, in effect, unplug from their worries of tomorrow and to practice a mindfulness of the moment. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34a).
As a cancer caregiver, I have had to learn the wisdom of following Jesus in this simplest of ways. I’ve had to unplug from my worries of tomorrow and let tomorrow worry about itself. I’ve found that when I practice mindfulness in the moment, I reboot myself in ways that make the very best out of my present day. As worries enter my mind, I let my five senses take in the here and now to replace the worries. It’s like I lose my mind and then come to my senses. Mindfulness is focusing on what I am now seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling. More often than not, this helps me restart my day and not worry about tomorrow.
Cancer may have a future. It does have a past. But God has given me sense enough to, as Jesus would suggest, stay cancer-free in my blessed moment of here and now. While unplugged.
Pray: Timeless God, help me this day to live with an awareness of my here and now and to embrace it. Help me to unplug my mind and reboot my senses. Be with me this day, one moment at a time. Amen.
Your Turn: Right now, be aware of what your senses are telling you. What are your eyes now seeing? Your ears hearing? Your skin now touching? Your nose smelling? Your mouth tasting? Be thankful for the newness God makes for you in this moment.
Dan Held, Cancer Caregiver
Dan is a cancer caregiver who lives with his wife (Sue) of 55 years in Dayton, Ohio, where Sue has been free from breast cancer and colon cancer for two years! Dan is an ordained pastor and a licensed therapist with a heart for families touched by cancer at any stage. He is dedicated to promoting the message of more love and less fear in all aspects of his ministry and life. Check out his blog at www.danielkheld.com.
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