When we depart from the “present” and live in the “future”, we cannot encounter Christ in the here and now or find God in our surroundings and circumstances. Therefore, our ability to “live in the present moment” becomes a prerequisite for whether we can find God in all things.
At this stage of the retreat, it’s time to ask about your current status. If you’ve been following along with the retreat, you may find yourself in one of two states, with two distinctly different mindsets. The first is that you’re thoroughly enjoying the content of the retreat and the opportunity for meditation, to the point where you may have even forgotten the theme of the retreat. The second possibility is that you have been eager to learn more practical skills to help you more easily find God in your daily life. No matter which category you belong to, or if you find yourself experiencing both thoughts and emotions at the same time, I am grateful for your continued participation in this retreat. Together with “farmers of hearts” from around the world, you have been tilling the soil of your heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you to encounter Jesus and learn to find Him in prayer and meditation.
Indeed, even if you do not feel that you can find God in all things, if you follow this retreat seriously, you have actually encountered Jesus in meditation, which is equivalent to finding Him. Therefore, even if the retreat were to end today, your harvest should be rich. Even if you cannot immediately find God in the things right before your eyes, you will find Him in prayer more easily than before.
If you have the first mindset, you should thank God because you are “present” in the retreat, let Jesus who is present touch you, and enjoy the time of “encountering God”. If you have the second mindset, you may be someone who focuses on “doing things”, valuing “fruitfulness and effectiveness” and measuring the value and benefits of work or tasks with tangible results. This is understandable. However, the drawback of this mentality is that it will take you away from the “present” and into the “future” state because the expected results are not in the present moment but in the future.
When we depart from the “present” and live in the “future”, we cannot encounter Christ in the here and now or find God in our surroundings and circumstances.
So, if we live or operate in this way, even if we learn more techniques to find God in all things, we won’t be able to live out what we’ve learned. Therefore, the techniques we will introduce later in this retreat will be of no use if we live like this.
In fact, “farmers of hearts” with the first mindset have also experienced, within these short twenty-plus days, noticeable changes in their thinking. They’ve found themselves more capable of finding and experiencing God in all things, and life has become more substantial and peaceful.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, their “presence” enables them to absorb and comprehend the content of the retreat more easily, making it easier to encounter God in meditation and receive His messages. Secondly, the insights and messages they have received bring about changes in their awareness and mindset, making it easier for them to sense and identify the presence of God and recognize Him in all things. This solid foundation will help them more effectively find God in all things as they acquire more skills.
Please note that this doesn’t mean that if you have the second mindset, which focuses more on efficiency, you are hopeless. The key is that we must first “be present” before we can “work” effectively. Without “being present”, our efforts will be less fruitful.
We are usually “present” with our hearts and “work” with our minds. Your heart must lead your mind, as the heart can help us stay in the present moment, while the mind may not.
In order to live well, we cannot rely solely on our minds. A person who lives with the heart is more grounded and can live in the present moment more easily than someone who lives with the mind. This is also the key to whether you can get the maximum benefit from this retreat. Its importance cannot be underestimated!
As we enter the final stage of this retreat, that is the last two weeks, I invite you to revisit any topics that you may have had difficulty understanding, accepting, or implementing during the retreat. Give yourself the opportunity to spend more time reviewing those topics, clarify, and incorporate the essence into your thinking and daily living, making them a part of your life and actions. More importantly, for those retreat contents that you find challenging to digest or accept, humbly seek the help of Jesus to release you from the things that are holding you back and to seek His will in them.
Reflection
Are you someone who can “live in the moment”? What are the obstacles that prevent you from living in the present more easily? How will you help yourself?
Do you tend to live more with your mind or with your heart? How would you make improvements to better “live in the moment”?
Have you benefited from this retreat and find it easier to find God in all things? How would you adjust yourself to gain even greater benefits from this retreat?
Today’s Prayer
Are you someone who can “live in the moment”? What are the obstacles that prevent you from living in the present more easily? How will you help yourself?
Do you tend to live more with your mind or with your heart? How would you make improvements to better “live in the moment”?
Have you benefited from this retreat and found it easier to find God in all things? How would you adjust yourself to gain even greater benefits from this retreat?
You are invited to visit the YouTube channel, where all participants are encouraged to join and share their reflections.
Fundraising Appeal
Thank you for participating in this 40-day Lenten spiritual journey, Finding God in All Things. We hope you have been inspired and have benefitted from it! For the spiritual benefit of all of you, Fountain of Love and Life devotes a lot of time and effort in producing various spiritual projects every year, and all our ministries are sustained by the generous donations of our supporters. We hope you will support us with prayers and donations. Please make an online donation using the button at the top of the website Lent.FLL.cc. Thank you very much for your support. God bless!
The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.
Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Project Manager: Michael Lam
Writer: Paul Yeung
Editors: Bonny Chan, Rosa Tse
English Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul Yeung
Mandarin Editor: Anthony X.
Cantonese Narrator: Margaret Woo
English Narrator: Bonny Chan
Mandarin Narrator: Maria Bai
Audio Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Margaret Woo
YouTube Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Arnold Chan
Graphics: Francis Lai, Rosa Tse
Website: Patricia Young, Angela Wong
Podcast: Angela Wong
Social Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa Tse
Theme Music:
“Friends Only” by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist
“Watercolor Lilies” by Aaron Kenny https://youtube.com/@contactkennya
Thank you for all your hard work preparing this online retreat. Each day content is great, however the background music is far too loud!! If you can adjust its volume so that the speaker becomes the centre point, and not the piano sound!