Every year, I do the word thing. One year it was "play." One year it was "breathe." One year it was "peace."
I don't know that this will be my word for the year, but I'm SO thankful for the word
present
in the English language.
For me right now, it has everything to do with everything I want, everything I need, everything about who God is.
I'd be curious to know what first came to your mind when you saw the word just now.
There's present in the sense of nearness. The Bible says God is our present help in times of trouble. He is here. Closer than my breath. A God close by. Christ in us. So very tender. So close. His presence is what I long for. To be in His presence is the deepest joy I have ever known - or ever will.
There's present as in attention. OH MAN do I ever want this to grow in my own life. I'm such a global squirrel chaser in my thoughts. And yet God is so very present when I call. He's such a good listener. He is so very present and attentive. Oh to be like Him, FOR Him. I ache to be the one who is completely attentive and present when He even so much as whispers His desires. I'd love to be the one who doesn't require being reeled in before He has my full response of, "Yes, Lord?" I was not born with a meek and quiet personality, but I do pray for a meek and quiet spirit - who I am when I'm alone with Jesus.
Then there's present as a verb. The Bible says to present your body as a living sacrifice. There's some stillness required for this, otherwise I squirm off the altar. Don't we get confused so easily. We assume that activity = service and obedience. But when He says, "Child be still" we chafe feeling like it's somehow not holy enough. Not enough to present to a King. But if the King is the one asking, who am I to say it's not enough? He is so incredibly patient and gentle. I'm pretty sure that sometimes He tells us to be still just so that He can show us His beauty because He knows it's what our soul aches for, or that it will simply bless us out of our skin!
Then there's the gift word present. He is the greatest gift and the greatest giver ever. I don't really need to say more on that.
We use the words at present to refer to a current moment. There is a now-ness to it that no other word carries. We all say to live in the present. It carries the same value.
To be honest, the one I ache for most is to be present in the moment.
I have lived most of my thought life in the future. Granted, I love that I'm a dreamer. But I can easily miss the overwhelming blessing of the right now, the in front of me, the here-ness of my Father.
I am becoming more aware that the only moment I have to be with Jesus is right now. Yes, He will be in the future, but I can not be there with him as I am finite. This moment is the one I have to be with Him. This one. The one I happen to be sharing with you, with Him.
To be otherwise than present is such a waste. If I worry about the future, I become anxious. If I worry about the past, I beccome resentful or regretful. That's not to say I can not think about the past or the future, but if I am present in His presence with a heart to present myself to him and receive the fact that he presents Himself to me as my greatest present, then there's no room for worry is there. My past becomes so small, my mistakes so covered by his love. My future is all wrapped up in his eyes.
And yes, I'm sure that the Hebrew and Greek words may be completely different for each facet I've been looking at. But as I said, I love this word in English.
Oh may I learn to be fully PRESENT!
love,
PS. I think I might like to start studying this word in the Bible. I might be writing more about it. What's your favorite facet of this diamond at present? ;)
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