The present according to me is preparation for the future. The Bible says it is a shadow of things to come. When Abraham was asked to offer Isaac, his only son it was significant. God had to offer His only son, Jesus as an atonement of sin.
Our life on Earth is preparation of another life. Otherwise what we do on Earth is all vanity. We're we made to be born, eat, grow, bathe, work, sleep etc. It sounds awkward. There is something more.