Friday, December 28, 2018

The Difference of Presence

Friday, December 28, 2018

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.  And the sea was also gone.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people!  He will live with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All these things are gone forever.”  And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”  And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”  And he also said, “It is finished!  I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.  All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.  Revelation 21:1-7(NLT)

Elizabeth and I began losing our parents in 1985 when Sofie went to be with the Lord.  Then, seven years later it was her dad, Tony.  Within the last 10 years my parents, Cecilia and Elwood, joined them.  Most of their siblings have also passed, and so our connection with that great generation has also faded into awaiting the great reunion.  Two days after this year’s Christmas festivities we were having our usual breakfast conversation and my bride remarked rather wistfully how different the holidays are without them. 
The difference an absence can make is startling once it settles-in.  You don’t get to ask any more questions, or be reminded of that special smile, or share the intimacy of those inside family jokes or stories.  So, now the responsibility falls to our generation to pass along the connection of past, present, and future.  Of course, it’s hard to improve upon what Scripture does with that; Genesis starts with creation, and Revelation ends with re-creation.  Start at the beginning, march through history, and celebrate what’s coming.  In each of those tenses there is presence!
When I was a young preacher, new in the ministry, there were times, when called to a deathbed, that I spoke too much, and much too quickly.  I’m certain it was nervousness; I didn’t know what to say, and so I spoiled holy moments by speaking well-meaning, but useless platitudes:
·      I’m sorry for your loss
·      He’s in a better place now
·      At least she’s not suffering
·      It was a hard road, but he was ready
I should have waited for the silent presence of the holy to be completely God’s place to speak; I’ve learned to try to be present rather than vocal.
At the most difficult times in my life I have been blessed to be surrounded by presence in the people who care about me, and by their presence and thoughtfulness they leave little question that I am loved.  Presence makes all the difference.  Words are important, but they are no match for that beating heart next to yours. 
During one of those very difficult times, when I had absolutely no clue which way to turn with my life, a dear Christian brother came alongside me.  I respected this friend, father, and honest businessman; his walk matched his talk!  It has been more than 40 years since that day, and I cannot recall a single word he said, because he just sat with me.  His caring presence made the difference in my life, and that presence spoke so loudly and clearly, if there were any words, they were completely unnecessary to his ministry to me.  God’s Spirit spoke for him directly to my heart.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.  Romans 8:26(NLT)

For You Today
It just may be that not every millisecond of eternity has to be filled with noise.  When you’re not certain words will accomplish God’s will, be silent.  God has been known to speak in a whisper, but none of us can hear that when we’re all about the noise.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.                                                                                                                     

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com

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