Presence and Presents

We have prayer meetings on designated Wednesday nights. After a short devotional message, we often split into small groups of men and small groups of women to pray for prayer requests. After the group that I was in finished, I was asked how I was doing. My reply? "Oh, sometimes I wonder if it's worth coming to church with our children. Today they are grouchy and can't sit well. I don't get to hear much of anything that goes on..." You get the point. I think that I complained a bit partly because I think so much of Krystal. I thought that it was likely that she would be able to give me a bit of advice or encouragement, and I was not disappointed on this evening. She said, "Have I ever told you about what I've learned about presence and presents?" No, I hadn't heard about this, so she told me and I've been pondering it ever since.

Krystal has a heart that is not healthy, to say the least. She was in the hospital a little over a year ago and was very, very close to going home to be with the Lord. God allowed her to stay on this earth, but she told me about one of the many things she learned through that experience. She couldn't talk because there were tubes down her throat. She couldn't move. She was sedated at times and slept often. But she was told later that her presence there made a difference. Everyone knew she was a Christian. Yes, she had lots of family and friends that visited her, but she was told that just her presence made a difference.

She then said that we often think that when we get together at church or with others that we have to give "presents" such as a word of encouragement, praying with someone, etc.

She acknowledged that when her children were young and she spent so much time in the foyer or nursery, she thought the same things as me, "I'm not getting anything out of this. I can't hardly even talk to anyone to encourage them or find out what is going on in their lives. I could be doing what I'm doing here at home!"

There is value in just being there.

Krystal said that because of what she has learned about the value of presence, she makes special effort to be at church.

So should I.

I wish that I would have understood this concept years ago. So many times I didn't make the effort to "be there" for others because I thought that they wouldn't really miss me anyway. I remember being part of a small music ensemble for the wedding of a friend. One of the ladies said that she wasn't going to go to the reception because the newlyweds would be so wrapped up in themselves that they wouldn't even notice if she were there or not. So, I didn't go either. Now I wish that I had.

My husband and I have talked before about being so glad that so-in-so was at our wedding. Yes, we were wrapped up in ourselves at our wedding, but we remember who was there and it meant a lot to us that they made the effort even if we only were able to say a couple words to them that day. Their presence was a blessing.

No, I can't run to here and there to "be there" for everything, but I do want to make the effort to "be there" for those things that God directs me to be at, even if I can't apparently participate at all.