Discussion: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow… Where Do You Live?

By Belinda M. Lane

March 24, 2023

I believe one of the hardest sayings in the bible for me to apply to my life is; “So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. (Matthew 6:34 Amplified Bible says) Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.” In our prayer we ask God to give us our daily bread. Bread comes in all types and nourishes us. So when we ask for our daily bread, I may not get the same type of bread you get. I get what is for my daily sustenance. We reach back for yesterday’s which no longer exist or tomorrow’s bread, which doesn’t exist yet.

We think where did today go? We find we have moved it in yesterday or watching for tomorrow. That in turn, creates emotions we shouldn’t be having. And it these emotions which show our thoughts, feelings, responses, desires and dissatisfactions. We are emotional beings. When we combine yesterday and tomorrow into our today, we will feel the impact of it. If yesterday wasn’t what we hoped for, we become anxious about tomorrow. Everything in life carries a portion of emotional attachment. Relationships (spouses, children, parents etc.), bills (even the ones you can pay on time), a job or no job. We were told to take no thought.

I remember in my early 20s, the doctor telling me I had ulcers. I walked into his office, bent over and in tears. After about a twenty or thirty-minutes conversation, the doctor concluded I had ulcers. His complete analysis was I was stressed out, causing me to suffer (and I use the word suffer at a level ten). Physicians today believe, there is no clear evidence to suggest stress causes ulcers. I think back during that time, all I wanted was to medicate my pain. This was because, I saw no means out of my stressful situations.

Our bodies are miraculous creations and will signal us of danger. When the doctor told me two (2) years ago I was border line pre-diabetic, I immediately eliminated sweets and some other foods. When I returned to my doctor months later, my sugar level was normal. When researching this subject, it stated sugar (sweets) wasn’t a direct cause. I immediately started to make life changes, searching for positive results. I was a vegetarian for months and felt a change in my overall being.

I went to the doctor for my annual checkup and observed the others sitting in the waiting room. Most of the seniors were in wheelchairs or with a walker. Next, I noticed there was a considerable gap between the seniors and ones who appeared to be in their 30s and 40s. Strangely, my next observation was that many of them had a walker. No judgment from me why they were in this condition, because the walkers and wheelchairs could have merely been temporary.

Life will blind you to today. Our instructions are for today. Understanding this scripture more, I have seen the change in me. While standing in my living room and thinking about the day, the realization came I paid all bills that were due. I had other bills with a due date later for the same month. But on this day, nothing was due. I stood in today and felt no pressure or anxiety. The feeling that moved through my entire being was so incredible.

Now I have been at this place throughout my life, but haven’t thought about it related to this scripture. I thought, “Is this what I have been missing?”. The peace I felt caused tears to flow (joyfully). I want to be clear. This doesn’t mean not to plan, budget, set goals, glance back in gratitude or move forward with expectation.

I want to leave you with this message. We must be Doers of the Word and not hearers only. God has given us support each day. He gives us what is due today. Yesterday is no longer here and tomorrow may never come. Today is all we got. (Matthew 6:34 Message Bible) states “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” We are safe in Today!

Thank you for joining me for Friday at Sundown. Remember… Just Breathe!

Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you

800-273-8255

Domestic Violence

National Domestic Violence Hotline can help victims, survivors of domestic violence. Call 1-800-799-7233. Chat w/an advocate on our website. National Domestic Violence Hotline: www.thehotline.org/

Aid for Military Veterans

In an attempt to cope with the pain of overwhelming emotions, sometimes veterans turn to unhealthy relationships, at-risk behaviors, or substance abuse.

Welcome Home is Celebrate Recovery's (CR) tool to help veterans stuck in hurts, hang-ups, and habits. (These statements are from CR’s Homepage). You are not alone! https://www.welcomehome.celebraterecovery.com