Episode 271: Living in the Present: Anxiety, Control, and God’s Daily Grace

What if worrying about the future is actually keeping you from experiencing God today? In this episode, Dot and Cara sit with Lamentations 3:22-23 and get honest about what it really means to trust that His mercies are new every morning. Dot talks about why living in the future, whether through anxiety or wishful thinking, can become a kind of hiding from today’s reality, and Cara opens up about a season of already grieving outcomes that haven’t happened yet. Pull up a chair, grab your Bible, and lean in with us.Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! Episode RecapIntro (00:27)Write this down: Lamentations 3:22-23, the steadfast love of the Lord and His mercies that are new every morning (00:00)Dot reflects on being someone who always thinks ahead, and shares what she sensed God saying in prayer: just live today, and those days will add up to the future you’re hoping for. (01:18)The manna illustration: when the Israelites stored up more than they needed for the day, it turned to worms. Dot says that’s what happens when we try to live in a day we haven’t lived yet. (03:01)Cara opens up about writing narratives, already emotionally grieving outcomes that haven’t happened, and why that kind of anticipatory grief is different from surrendering to God. (03:44)The control problem: we try to escape into the future because we can’t control it, but Dot points out we can’t control the present either. Sometimes the future becomes a way of hiding from today’s reality. (06:48)Cara shares what staying tethered looks like in a hard season: worship music on repeat, calling truth to mind, and finding small moments throughout the day to go before Jesus, even two minutes at lunch. (10:09)Hope belongs in God’s character, not in circumstances changing. Dot shares honestly about years she believed God didn’t want her to suffer, and what Scripture actually teaches about following Jesus into a hard life. (13:45)Dot talks about a hard season two and a half years ago when she walked through her days like a zombie, but kept showing up to pray every morning anyway. That habit, she says now, was her lifeline. (19:54)Prayer is a relationship, not a to-do. If you don’t want to go to God right now, start by asking Him to help you know He wants to be with you. (23:10)Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected] Write this Down! on YouTubeFind Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook This Episode’s Scripture VerseLamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) — “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”