A Present Presence

If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s God presence with me.

Ever since I began to better understand God and His love for me, I knew He was with me. It was just a given. One that I sadly took for granted, at times. But whenever I needed Him–in times of pain, grief, uncertainty, or even the stress of trying times, He was always there: a present presence.

Repeatedly this year, I’ve called upon this presence. To calm anxiety, cry out for assistance, seek patience, comfort, or wisdom, it didn’t matter when or what I sought-He was there. I’ve come to rely on His presence and seek it daily, often minute by minute at times. It also made me think of my presence in others’ lives.

Over the last few years, I have attempted to be more present in my life and with others. Being present matters not only for our own health and wellness, but for our relationships too. Jesus practiced this with whomever He interacted. His example in one I’ve tried to emulate with mixed success.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. ~Matthew 28:20

In 2017, I needed and sought joy. It was my one word of the year, a practice I had never done previously. The practice of seeking and finding joy this last year was profound. I found joy in so many ways, places and situations. I so enjoyed this in-depth look at joy, I prayed for my word for 2018. Overwhelmingly, the idea of a present presence kept coming back to me.

I want to be more present in my life and in the lives of my family, friends, clients and even those I don’t know yet. I want to sense God’s presence even more in the needed and mundane moments of life. I’m sensing even more as my children and we all age: I want to be a presence in the lives of those I love.

As I look ahead to 2018, God is increasingly showing me of the need for His and my present presence. So that’s it-my words for 2018 are a present presence. I’m not entirely sure how this will manifest in the next year, but I know it’s necessary. I desire more of God’s present presence as I simultaneously seek to be more like Jesus in being a present presence in the lives those I love.

I’m excited about this journey and to that end; I’ve decided to take a bit of a breather from the blog in the next month. I want to fully jump into being more present with those I love. Yet, I still want to encourage us all each week, so I’ve lined up some phenomenal friends to do just that. I’ll share them with you here over the next few weeks as I take some extra moments to explore and be a present presence.

I wish you much joy, love, peace and the comforting knowledge of God’s presence with you in 2018. I look forward to learning with you from my friends here in the coming weeks and to connect with you even more in the coming year. I’m thrilled about the adventure to explore and become a present presence in 2018 and share with you along the way. May God bless all our journeys to know Him more as we follow His footprints!