not as unwise, but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity.
Ecclesiastes 5:15-16
I was meeting with some friends who were asking how they could be praying for me this week. As I mentally scanned through the long list of events, weekly commitments, daily to-dos and booked up weekend obligations throughout the month of November, I sighed.
I just want to be present. I just want to keep my head up. I want to find joy in the life and commitments I am living right now. I want to experience the joy of the Lord and the joy of relationships.
But at the same time, I couldn't stop thinking, I can't wait for December 1st.
Choosing to be present is never going to be natural. We are conditioned to keep moving, to get things done, to look ahead and feel the momentum of completion. But complying to these actions doesn't mean that we are making the most of every opportunity, nor does it mean that we are experiencing joy in the midst of it all.
I can think of no better example of being present than Jesus.
How many times were he and his disciples on a mission somewhere or in the middle of a ministry engagement when Jesus stopped to be present with someone else? And how many times did the disciples become impatient with people and even with Jesus as he did so?
The bleeding woman who touched his cloak.
The Roman official who desperately wanted Jesus to come heal his dying daughter.
The "inconvenient' children who were brought to Jesus to be blessed.
Jesus didn't turn people away, but he made time for them; he noticed them and made them realize they were valued. Sure, he was human—sometimes he wanted to escape the crowds and retreat to quieter spaces with his disciples. Sometimes he needed to be alone to spend time with his Father in heaven. But he never made people feel like they were in the way of his "real" ministry or his tasks at hand.
Loving people was his ministry.
I want to love people and be present in the midst of this sea of never-ending expectations. December 1st can come, but not before I've spent November loving people.
Lord, please help me to see your world with your eyes. Help me to lift up my eyes and notice those that need to be loved and valued. Help me find joy in everything I have committed to, so that my efforts, my work and my heart are found honorable in your sight.
Jamie
jrobison@b4church.org
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