Are You Dreaming Your Life Away?: Leaving Your Past, Present and Future to God
“Do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Matthew 6:34).
When I was in high school, I dreamed of my college days and all the different experiences I would have. In college, I started to think about my career, my desire for a relationship, and my future family. Now that I’m two years out of college and I’ve begun to establish my career, I often think of the next step, forgetting that where I am now used to be my dream.
I am living the dream I once had for myself. Sometimes, I have to remind myself of the beauty and joy I have in my life. I’m working hard and have a good job in a creative field. I love my little one-bedroom apartment. I have a loving boyfriend. If I’m not careful, my tendency to focus on the “next thing” will make me completely overlook where I’ve come.
St. Padre Pio said, “Lord, I leave the past in Your mercy, the future in Your providential care, and the present moment in Your Love.” Let’s break down this prayer:
Leaving the Past to God’s Mercy
I think we can all agree that hyperfocusing on the past does us no good. I know many people who struggle to come to terms with their past actions. Instead, we should learn from the past and allow it to guide us—without letting it overcome us. Our Lord is so merciful. We are his beloved, and we’d be foolish to not allow his mercy to transform our lives. Doing so means moving forward through pain, reflecting but not fixating on the past.
Leaving the Future to God’s Providence
I am a planner. I love, love, love to plan and dream about the future. It has served me well to be on top of things and to work toward my goals, but when everything in my heart fixates on the next steps, I find myself ignoring the beauty in my everyday life. I sometimes forget that when I reach my goals, I don’t suddenly transform into a happy, dream state. Our lives are made up of the mundane, and if we don’t appreciate these moments, we’ll miss out on our life.
Leaving the Present to God’s Love
From the beginning of our lives, we’re taught to plan for the future. We’re told in elementary school that once we get into high school, we’ll have to take our schoolwork more seriously. Once we’re in high school, the emphasis is on preparing for college. Then, in college, we spend all our resources trying to figure out what we’ll do after college. While we should always be striving to improve ourselves, it can be harmful to lean too much into this future-centered mindset.
I have a lot of memories I treasure and friendships I value from my college years. But I also remember the constant anxiety I faced about the future. St. Padre Pio tells us to leave the present moment to God’s love. God asks us to fully devote ourselves to him in each moment and to love him in the present. Being present and recognizing our joy and accomplishments frees us to fully love the people around us—and Christ.
So, next time you find yourself dreaming your life away, pray with Padre Pio, and try to live fully the moments you have been given today.
Mary Grace Dostalik, born and raised a Texas girl, recently graduated from Benedictine College with a major in evangelization and catechesis. She is a dancer, a writer, and a wanna-be explorer. Mary Grace loves to spend her spare time choreographing dances, going on runs, practicing calligraphy, and searching for the best chai tea latte. She is doing her best to go wherever God calls her, whether it be Oklahoma, Kansas, Ireland, or back to Texas. Mary Grace is currently living her dream of serving the Church by working as the marketing and communications manager at a parish in Frisco, Texas.