Meeting God in a Moment of Time
A Mindful Christianity Reflection
God is waiting to meet you in this moment.
The past has already passed, and the future has not yet arrived. This present moment is where your heart can become aware of God’s presence.
“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’”Genesis 28:16
Inspiration
“My deepest desire is to restore that heart-to-heart connection between us. I want you to intimately experience Me, moment by moment, in the goodness of the Holy Now.”
From In the Presence of Jesus by Paul Bane and Matt Litton
The moment we often miss
We can move through the ordinary motions of life while remaining unaware of what is happening inside us. Our bodies may be present, but our thoughts are replaying yesterday or racing ahead into tomorrow.
We know what it is like to lie awake at night because someone said something hurtful. We replay the conversation and imagine what we should have said. Regret returns us to choices we cannot change, while anxiety carries us into future situations that have not happened.
Jesus taught us not to worry about tomorrow, yet our minds can automatically imagine the worst possible outcome. Fear tells us that if we think about every possibility long enough, we will finally gain control. Instead, overthinking often steals the peace available to us right now.
God meets us in the Holy Now
For the Christian, living attentively in God’s presence is not an escape from reality. It is a way of becoming fully present to the reality of Christ with us. Rather than remaining trapped in our pain or controlled by imagined outcomes, we can meet the Author of Life moment by moment.
It took me decades to understand how to live mindfully in the present. My friend Matt calls it the “Holy Now”—that sacred point between thoughts about the past and fears about the future. It is where our experience of time and God’s eternal presence intersect.
The Holy Now is not a perfect, pain-free moment. It may contain unanswered questions, grief, uncertainty, or ordinary responsibilities. What makes it holy is not the absence of difficulty. It is the presence of God.
Jacob awakened and realized that God had been present even though he had not recognized Him. We may experience the same awakening. God was present in the room, in the waiting, in the tears, and in the silence. We simply were not yet aware.
The only moment we can truly live
The past can teach us, but we cannot return to it. The future can invite wise preparation, but we cannot live there yet. This moment is the only place where we can receive grace, make a faithful choice, offer love, or become aware of God’s nearness.
When you notice your mind drifting into regret or fear, you do not have to condemn yourself. Gently return. Take a slow breath. Release what you cannot control and remember: the Lord is in this place.
A simple practice for this moment
- Pause and allow your body to become still.
- Take one slow breath and notice that you are here.
- Name the thought pulling you into the past or future.
- Release that thought into the care of Jesus.
- Pray quietly: “Lord, help me become aware of Your presence.”
- Remain still for one minute without trying to accomplish anything.
A prayer for the present moment
Jesus, my thoughts so easily carry me into yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s fears. Bring me back to this moment. Help me release what I cannot change and surrender what I cannot control. Awaken my heart to Your presence and teach me to recognize the sacredness of the Holy Now. Remind me that wherever I am, You are already here. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
