Hello, from my temporary residence — a bedroom in a friend’s townhome.

You may recall that I sold my house of 12 years back in June. At the time, I related my situation to the Israelites wandering the desert, forever whining that they wished they’d stayed in Egypt. They lived in the past even though they were slaves in the past. They couldn’t grasp that better times were ahead. That’s where I was in June.

In Exile
Today, my situation seems much different. Now I’m more like the Jews in exile in Babylon. I suspect they were content in exile and probably didn’t think much about the Promised Land from which they came. They lived day-to-day, not in the past nor the potential of their future. They were just stuck.

I have become comfortable in my new surroundings. I’ve settled in. I’ve developed a new routine — a new comfort zone. At times I think this is the life. No lawn to mow. No mortgage, utility, garbage, homeowners insurance payments. No house to keep up. A girl could really get used to this.

And that, my friends, is the problem.

Living for the Present
Don’t get me wrong, living for the present is generally a good thing. Sometimes we put life on hold until a dream is realized. We say things like, “When I get a better job, I’ll be happy.” “After I get married, then I will really be living.” “If only I could buy a hobby farm, then I’ll have everything I want.” Meanwhile, a hundred todays fly by.

Losing Sight
I don’t want to get used to my current environment. I don’t want to lose sight of my dream of owning a hobby farm. I don’t want to shelf it again. I want to be excited for what lies ahead. I want to be like Nehemiah, who begged the king of Babylon to let him return to Judah to help rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. He had visions of returning Jerusalem to its grandiose state. He saw the potential in the future and realized the pity of indifferently letting time pass by.

Focus
Perhaps some day soon my dream will come true. Whether it’s next week or next year, I need to keep my eyes “on the prize” and trust God for the future.

Question: Where do you find yourself today? In Egypt? In Babylon? In the Promised Land? Are you living in the past, present or holding hope for the future?