The Gift of Presence

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Written 12/21/15: Apologies for the sudden stop in posting. I got caught up in finishing an icon (it's still in progress) and finishing up LifeBook lessons for the year. I'm taking the class again in 2016 as there's a cool new crop of teachers.)

Written 2/27/16: I finished the icon and will post about it later. I got obsessed with Hamilton (the musical). I forgot all about blogging. But found this post, last edited in December with "READY TO GO" written next to it in my Notes app so here's as good a place to re-start as any.

"I will not be driven by perfectionism or performance - because I was formed by Love, for Love. I will simply Enjoy the Ministry of Presence today: God's presence, people's presence, the present moment, the gift of now. The greatest gift I can give back to our great God is to let His love make me glad." - Ann Voskamp.

This is on the card for December 2 of Ann Voskamp's Advent reflections, which is also in her book The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. I've had the book since it came out and do you think I've set aside time with these reflections during the Advent season? Nope. Maybe next year as this year's Still Forming Advent Meditations is enough. Ann shared this on her blog during Advent and the quote really caught my attention.

Being present to each other is an act of love. We are so easily distracted today by our small electronic devices (myself included here!), or by worries and concerns (oh, look, I am describing myself again. Preach it, sister!). It's hard to be present: present to the other people in the same room as me, present to God's presence. On my last retreat, it was so hard for me to make space for God's presence. I should have locked my phone away somewhere.

The act of being present to others is allowing them to be seen, to be heard, to be loved. 

When was the last time you let God's love make you glad?



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