Here, Today

FRI., OCT. 14, 1983, 5:48 AM
EXEC. WEST, LOUISVILLE

Here, today… now is the important time, o son. The past is the basis for memories, pleasant and difficult, which can be the basis for wisdom… yet it must be utilized sparingly at this time of life. The future deserves some planning and “speculating about”, but also must not be a major focus. This is reserved for here, today… the present living of this earthly life.

Your behavior brings a smile to Me, for your “now” is occupied with writing what you hear Me communicating, despite the puny amount of sleep you’ve had in the last three nights. That can be balanced in the future, you know. For the now you must be awake and attentive to Me. Your commitment is exceedingly more important than an hour of sleep.

Those in AA, living with a self-threatening dependence, say, “one day at a time”. As Jesus I said, “sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”, which also means “today can bring enough trouble… don’t bring back yesterday’s difficulties nor dwell upon the potential problems ahead.” I also have said, and say again, “This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” (I warned you, and you neglected that present opportunity to meet this present need. But since My theme is “here, today” I shall not hassle you over a past miscue. That wouldn’t be appropriate, now would it?)

(The previous parenthetical note was in reference to Bob Russell’s pen running out of ink in the middle of the Teaching.)

You note that the examples I just gave were negative. You are cautioned to live a positive today, because yesterdays were full of pain and trouble and so could your tomorrows, but today could be positive and without trouble, if you concentrate your energies upon it. Also you were reminded that the now will have enough difficulties, so don’t let those from the past holdover, and don’t anticipate the troubles that tomorrow will bring.

Hear, also, the positive. Though it is realistic to anticipate some troubles in the today that is now, this is, first and foremost, a time to let and make the positive happenings override and even rule out the troubles. Some problems never arise because you are concentrating on positive actions. Within the finiteness that earth life and time seems to possess you just don’t “have time” for troubles when you’re here and now time is occupied with positive thoughts and actions. Like unto the many accidents that don’t happen because of reasonable, even careful behavior, many troubles never develop because you are occupied with deeds dedicated to Me. It sounds simple. It pretty much is.

Now I will admit that the presentation you made yesterday, with ease and with zest, was successful partly because you had looked to the future in the past. Yet even as you are anticipating the future what you are doing in the here and now needs to be a “present” task. In other words, that which is planning for the future needs to have the integrity of a present activity. Even though it has utility for the future a task must also have its “now” value.

In other realms you shall reexperience the reality that is without time. It is not that there is no past nor no future, but that these are at one with the reality of now, here, today. It is not that your individuality is wiped out, but that it becomes at one with other individualities and with Me.