Models: (v) a system or thing used as an example to follow or imitate.
Maya Angelou is a model of survivorship and hope. She used words to give hope, help and to encourage healing.
"If you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully. However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present.... Gratefully." - Maya Angelou
This quote is one I must try to memorize, because it is powerful. When contemplating it for today's post, I wondered how to put into words a way to act on this brilliant observation by a woman who had survived much hardship and difficulty.
How do we make a "model" out of her piece of wisdom quoted here?
Then it hit ... "The Lord's Prayer" is full of this kind of living. Yes, when the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, he gave them a recipe for prayer. It models how we can pray.
Pray with a forgiving heart. "Forgive us as we forgive."
Be prayerful about the future, trusting it to God's hands. "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done." And there is more..."For Thine is the kingdom and thine is the glory." and "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Be present and grateful in the present. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Give us this day, our daily bread."
Yes, we have a model prayer for living, forgiving and singing... even when uncertainty strikes.
When we are present in the present... with gratitude... we can become like the lilies of the field and the sparrows with no worry about the future. Simply enjoy the splendor of this day. Grab the sweetness of this moment.
Jesus, also, encourages us to trust as children trust. If we want answers, we have God's Word to light and guide the way... but sometimes, the answer is simply to live this day well and trust him with tomorrow.
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. -Psalm -119:105
His Word is full of models for this journey. People like Joseph, Noah, Moses, Job, Abraham, David, Esther, Ruth, Peter, John, Paul and more. Not perfect people, but real people who mess up and find their way back to Him. They model what to do... and what not to do.
Thanksgiving is days away. Our fathers, mothers, grandparents and great-grandparents have modeled hospitality and passed it on to the next generation. Now, it is our turn. What will we teach the next generation by our example?
Today, I am grateful for models.
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