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The Ministry of Presence

I try to get the craziness of my to-dos done during the day while the boys are at school. If it's a really good day, I have a good ten or fifteen minutes right before the boys come home to sit and relax exhaling before the next round of chaos ensues. Sometimes, however, my days require more time and my list spills over into the afternoon. If I may confess, that means that the boys get on their devices so I can have a few moments of sanity to complete my tasks.

I struggle with being present. My mind is usually thinking of a million different things. I wrestle with being still trying to accomplish one more thing. I like to check things off my list and can relax when everything is in its place.

I never thought about being present as a ministry. Oftentimes, we think ministry doesn't happen in the everyday. Ministry is those things that we do above and beyond the daily chores: feeding the homeless, donating clothes or food, serving at church, making a meal for someone, etc. We don't view our daily lives as a place where ministry occurs. I think we do ourselves a disservice and limit God's capacity in our lives when we do this or hold this way of thinking.

When I look at Jesus' ministry while he was here, it was all about being present. He was either present with people or present with God. Many times, people changed merely because of his presence. He didn't have to say a word for people's lives to be altered forever.

I think of the woman who was ill. She touched his robe and was healed. Through her faith and his power through his presence, her body was healed of her illness. The disciples felt his power when they entered his presence. Even Pontius Pilate felt the power Jesus held before he handed him over to be crucified. He was terrified and found him not guilty even though he didn't truly know who this man was standing before him (John 19).

Jesus ministered through his presence. He still ministers through his presence today.

“that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” Ephesians 3:17

The moment we accept Jesus as Savior, he dwells within us. His presence goes with us through the twists and turns of our lives by the Holy Spirit. Realizing Jesus' main ministry was the power of his presence empowers me to be more present in my life.

We are in the thick of the holiday season. One thing I learned last year was that less is truly more. We did far less last year than we ever have and that was the most fulfilling holiday season for me. There is ministry in being present.

Our oldest used to despise being in his playroom alone. He wanted either my husband or myself upstairs with him. We didn't need to interact with him. He just wanted us there. The people in our lives don't need our words or our gifts. They just need our presence.

This can be a season of chaos or a season of presence. I am going to acknowledge the need for being present in my life and the ministry that occurs when I am completely committed to being present. I will put the phone down, let the to-do list go unfinished, and leave the crooked ornaments on the tree. Time is our most expensive commodity. I want to be present. I will be present. For there is ministry in the presence.

'When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”' Genesis 28:16

Love & Blessings,
Meg

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