Long Talk….

Do you remember the place where you truly learned how to be present?  I invite you into a picture of one of those places for me.  

At first glance, one might notice an icebox or refrigerator, covered with photographs and thank-you notes. One may see a potato box, leftovers on the back of the stove, or even a coffee pot.  At the center of the picture is one of the places where I learned how to practice presence.  This bar is surrounded by barstools where I remember gathering as a young adult.  I can still hear plates being taken out of the cabinets and placed on the bar.  

Practicing presence was about active listening.  Practicing presence was learning what it looked like to be part of a family with many different schedules, but one common goal.  I can still hear the words of the prayer before the meal, “Lord help us to overlook one another’s shortcomings, and never to forget who makes these things on earth possible.”  I claim to be no great theologian, but these words are deeply rooted in practicing the presence of God.  

Another great example of practicing the presence can be found in John 21:4-7. Jesus stands on the shore shouting, “Friends, have you caught anything?”  We know the answer, no.  Then Jesus invited them to let down their nets on the right side.  The nets were busting at the seams with fish.  There must have been some active listening going on!  It’s incredible to me how Jesus transformed this ordinary shore into a place of presence.  A place where disciples could learn what practicing presence entails.

What does practicing presence look like amid our hectic lives and world?  How would it look if we strived to be intentionally present with God, others, and oneself?  These might be ordinary ways in which we learn the importance of being compassionate, listening more, talking less, and connecting more deeply within our communities.  Who knew that all those meals and conversations around that kitchen bar were training to live attentively in God’s love, and learning to extend that presence into a community and world that desperately needs it. 

I would encourage us to look for those ordinary places (such as football stadiums, coffee shops, and cross-country fields, etc) so that we might learn how to practice being in the presence of God.  

Always Remember, Never Forget, GOD LOVES YOU!

Tom