The Precious Present

Read - The Precious Present (by Spencer Johnson)

What are your reflections and initial thoughts on the story?

How would you define the precious present? 

1. being, existing, or occurring at this time or now; current

2. at this time; at hand; immediate: articles for present use.

3. a. noting an action or state occurring at the moment of speaking.

4.being with one or others or in the specified or understoodplace: to be present at the wedding.

5.being here: Is everyone present?

When was a time that you remember being the happiest?

Odds are that it wasn’t that you didn’t have issues in your life or lots of things going on at that point and time… but that you were so absorbed into the present moment… you were choosing happiness.

In the same way, we talked about having to pursue peace… the same principle holds true for happiness doesn’t it? You have to pursue it.
Too many people wait around for happiness to fall on them like a bomb.

Why did this young man have such a difficult time finding the precious present?

Why can it be so difficult to experience the precious present?  
(your past…. Your future)

Jesus is interested in the present.
I imagine that it was an awesome experience to come in contact with Jesus….

The gospels are full of stories when people found themselves engaged with Jesus… because if anyone was ever fully present with anyone… it was those who came into contact with Jesus…

Do you recall any stories when Jesus was fully present with someone?
Nicodemus… the woman at the well… Zacchaeus… the bleeding woman in the crowd… Nathaniel…
Jesus is interested in you, in this present moment.

Jesus didn’t come to announce… “the kingdom of heaven will be here shortly”… or “it’s just around the corner…”     But He announced: “the Kingdom of heaven is upon you!” It’s here! Now!... and it is yet coming fully!
So… may the blind be healed, may the dead be raised, may the reconciliation and forgiveness begin today!  

Then before His resurrection He tells everyone to … what? “be alert” … not even He knows when all will be finished…. When the kingdom will be fully here… But all we have is this present moment… and to be fully present… fully awake in it…

Why do you think God didn’t just clue us in on when exactly it would be that He would fully return and reconcile everything?

Because we’d be living not in the present… but the future…  We would miss the very gift of life…
We would miss faith…. And so we would miss the opportunity of true relationship with our Father.

Last thoughts?