A post, at last!

Well, it has become apparent to me that, after (over) two year's operation of this blog, I'm not much of a writer. Put simply, I'm just not that good at releasing my thoughts as they come. Alas, I am compelled to backspace and delete them, even when they beckon me to let them stay a bit longer. I shall attempt to be a bit more merciful with my ruminations in the future.

First of all, I'd like to say that I'm very intrigued by the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I've read a lot of theological books, and most of them are drier than this year's Oklahoma summer. Nevertheless, I'm still desirous to find even the smallest nugget of spiritual truth, so I labor intensely at getting through these books. Yet, I'm often met with frustration and failure in this regard. So, it was with immense pleasure that I first read the spiritual ponderings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

When I picked up The Cost of Discipleship some months ago, I was immediately struck by how Bonhoeffer was able to clearly identify the cause of my frustrations related to The Church. If you're interested, you really should read the book. In fact, I'll go further and say that this book is a "must-read" for the concerned Christian. At any rate, I read something from Bonhoeffer's devotionals today ("I Want To Live These Days With You"), and was struck by some of his observations.

Of particular note, he expounded on the idea that God has given us 24 hour days because He wants us to live each day as a whole. That is, we shouldn't be concerned about the past (c.f., "Forgetting what is past...") or the future (c.f., "Let the day's troubles be sufficient for the day"). In other words, God wants us to live in the present. Each day is a new day, full of opportunity and struggle. If our day is a failure, we are assured that "[God's] mercies are new every morning." If our day is a success, we can enjoy it and look forward to the next one God will bring. The emphasis is on "the now," rather than the future or the past. Any deviation from this leads to anxiety, since both the past and the future belong to God. All He has given us is today.

"Wherever you are -- be all there." -Jim Elliot