PRESS PLAY ON TODAY

Do you remember the cassette tapes? Back in the day, if you wanted to hear your favorite song again, you had to hit the rewind button. And sometimes, if you weren’t careful, you’d go too far back, and then you’d have to fast-forward and try to find the right spot. It wasn’t instant like today’s streaming, you had to be patient.

But do you know what was even worse? When the tape got tangled. You’d take out the cassette, grab a pencil, and start winding it back, trying to fix it. Some of you remember those days! But here’s the thing: life is not a cassette tape. There’s no rewind button to undo the past, no fast-forward to skip ahead to the good parts. All you have is this moment.

Some people are always looking backward, dwelling on mistakes, missed opportunities, and things they wish they had done differently. Others are always looking forward—“One day, when I have this, when I achieve that, then I’ll be happy, then I’ll feel fulfilled.” But the past is over, and the future is in God’s hands. The only time you can truly live is right now.

God says in Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” He is always about doing something new. He doesn’t want you tangled up in regret, constantly hitting “rewind” and getting stuck in your yesterdays. He has fresh mercy for you each morning, new opportunities in front of you, and a present moment filled with His presence and His love.

When you embrace the present moment, you open your heart to see God’s hand at work. You notice little blessings all around you: a kind word from a friend, an unexpected opportunity, a door opening you didn’t even know existed. You realize that no matter what happened yesterday, you can step forward with confidence today, knowing that God is with you.

So, let’s thank God for the gift of this very moment, trusting that His power is at work and good things are on the horizon. Embrace where you are, knowing that God has placed you here for a reason. And instead of rewinding in regret or fast-forwarding in worry, press play on today and walk forward in faith, with joy and expectation.

Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan
March 27, 2025