Belated (06/07/2024)

Age has taught me that life has a way of changing our plans. This past week, I have had the delight of having my mother, sister, niece, and two grandnieces at my home for a visit. Adding five additional people to any environment means adapting. And adapting has been necessary this week. Yesterday, plans for the day with family did not allow me to write at all; today, I am able to write, but unfortunately it is belated. But I trust you will understand. I believe you would have chosen as I did to spend every minute I had available with my family.

We waved goodbye just a bit ago. And so, I am sitting down to do my blog for today. My focus is on sharing what I knew already but what I learned all over again and it sank in even more deeply – people take precedent.

I have a thing that at times drives my family and friends crazy. My thing is that we should be present to those who are with us. So, if I phone you and find out you are spending time with someone or someone is visiting you, I will tell you I will call back later, I will acknowledge that you should be spending time with those who are with you.

What is my point? One of the ways we are most “godly” is in being present to one another, truly present, not distracted, but present as our creator is present to us. When we have the opportunity to spend time with another, we should put away our phones, we should put away our “to do list.” We should not be planning what we will do when we are alone but treasuring the company of another and giving thanks that we are not alone.

Today, as we finish our days, let “presence” be on our minds and in our hearts. Let us be present to those whom we are with. Let us focus on the other, listen attentively, see the other. And in doing so, may we come to see more clearly our LORD within each other.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.