In the Moment

I am a person who has always lived for what comes next:  the next holiday; the next party; the next lunch with friends.  You know the drill:  the next thing that is a diversion from whatever it is that is the humdrum 'normal' of my life.  But all of that has changed.
Due to circumstances far beyond my control, my personal life has become a soap opera drama over the last couple of years.  Let's just say it hasn't been pretty--and leave it at that.  I struggle with depression and anxiety, as a result, and some mornings it's just a huge effort to put a foot on the floor.
But, here's the thing:  somehow, in the midst of all of the drama, I have learned to live in the moment.  I have learned that it is what is happening in the here and now that really matters--not what is going to happen tomorrow, or next week, or next year.  I have learned to enjoy the moment in which I am living, and not to worry about or anticipate the moments to come.
There is great freedom in that (sometimes too much freedom, when I forget that I have to notify others of changes, etc.).  There is freedom to love the people I'm with for who they are--and forget about who they aren't.  There's freedom to enjoy this moment--instead of planning for and worrying about the next.  There is freedom to stop and enjoy the place I find myself, without worrying about what is going to come next.  Somehow I feel richer; more blessed; more in-tune with what's going on around me.
I'm wondering if God intended us to live this way.  Is that what Jesus is talking about when he talks about the lilies, and the birds of the air?  If so, alleluia!
I am still angry about the place I find myself these days, but I am also so thankful for the opportunity to change my perspective on life.  And once this drama is over, may it be that I am able to continue to enjoy life, and all it brings to me, in this moment-by-moment way.  For in the moment, life is good, and God is great.  And may it always be so!