01 Dec Here All Week

This week, I’m focused on one thing: presence.

Through each of the challenges and triumphs of this week, I want to be here for them. 

In triumph, there is the chance to celebrate. Triumphs bring me the encouragement that I have what it takes to overcome whatever I’m presently facing.

In challenge, there is the opportunity to learn and grow. I don’t want to miss these opportunities to grow by pining for the challenges to pass. No… I want to sit in them and allow the lesson to fully unravel before me. As Jesus’s brother James put it, I want to “Let perseverance finish its work so that [I] may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”. Ejecting too early only short circuits my own maturation process. 

James goes on to say, “ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:3-4 NIV)

What is wisdom? It is the ability to view a matter within a broader context so that you can gain the perspective needed to approach it well.

This wisdom is what I want when it relates to my current challenges. It is this “zooming out” that allows me to be grateful in (and even for) the hard times.  I can ask God for wisdom as often as I want and He’s always there to provide a generous helping. I love that.

One way I’m zooming out this week came to me last night as a suggestion from my friend Brian. He asked me how often I take time to reflect and take inventory of what God has done in my life. Even though I journal fairly consistently, I don’t take enough time to reflect on the praiseworthy moments that have transpired along my journey.

This practice of taking inventory helps to ground me in the present. All of life is connected. When I can take time to see how God has brought me through seasons, I can better perceive how these seasons connect to the present. 

With this perspective comes a few helpful realizations for me: 

1.) God has never taken His eyes off of the road or His hands off of the wheel.

A scripture passage in which I always find a great deal of comfort is Psalm 121. The fourth verse says, “indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” I love how the Psalmist used both “slumber” and “sleep”. For some reason this apparent redundancy gives me an extra sense of reassurance that God really is present, attentive, and aware of me.

2.) God’s track record of faithful trustworthiness enables me to rest in the present.

So much of what brings me away from being present is trying to account for future events. Of course, responsible planning ahead is a virtue. What I’m talking about is being so preoccupied with the future that I miss the now. I believe this sort of preoccupation is irresponsible. When I’m not present, I miss the opportunity to see the gifts that are available right now.

So today I started with a walk led by a guided meditation that helped me to focus on God in the present. I continue with prayer for more wisdom as to how to better embrace the present. I’ll send my sister a text today about one thing I’m delighted about in the present. I’ll end the day with reflecting on 10 things I’m grateful for. 

I love that God refers to himself in the bible as “I AM”. I see this as the ultimate expression of presence. When I’m asking God to show me how to be more present, I’m really asking him to make me more like him. As any good and loving father would, I believe he delights in answering that request.

I plan on writing more on this personally held virtue of presence as I continue to seek greater levels of proficiency in it. Feel free to share any insights or feedback you have in the comments. If you want to keep up with my writing, head over to my blog to subscribe (link in comments).