Life is a Ministry of Presence

I bumped into one of our regulars the other day. His face lit up when he saw me. He noted that it had been a couple weeks since he last saw me and that he had been worried that something had happened to me. You see, it seems like in some mysterious kind of way, I’ve become someone/something in his otherwise unpredictable life that he can count on. That’s humbling.

There are times in our life when the people who God intended to block for us wind up tackling us in our own backfield.

I don’t know how you should respond in that moment. But, remember, there are people counting on you that you don’t even realize are depending on you to show up.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 13:34 ESV

Showing up is the mysterious secret to living a life well loved.

You don’t need any wise words or eloquent speeches to make a difference in people’s lives. Show up. Be seen.

I like to say that it’s better to be seen than viewed. Life is a ministry of presence. It’s a participatory sport.

Showing up is really where mentoring and discipleship begin and end. As a Christian, you can do more to share the Gospel simply by showing up and being accounted for as people navigate the turbulent waters of their lives. You see, we are all carrying something. There’s a burden in our backpack waiting to be unloaded.

Loving someone is about being there, day in day out. Through the good times and the bad; when it’s hard, not just when it’s easy.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Love requires vulnerability to be all it can be. When it comes to love, less than all causes us to miss out on all that God intends for us. There’s a richness in relationships that only comes to the surface if we’re willing to dig deep and do the hard work.

That starts with showing up…

Be there for people when they need you, not just when you need them. Remember, there are people counting on you who you may not even be aware of, but need you all the same.

The other night, I went and sat in on my old drawing class. It did me good to be with fellow artists, many of whom I have sat next to for a couple of years now. Apart from doing me good, I sensed it did them good to see me also. It felt familiar. It felt like home. Due to other demands, many unexpected, I didn’t sign up for drawing class this semester. At the time, I thought I knew why, but it turned out there were a slew of other reasons unbeknownst to me and only known to God.

Sometimes life tackles you in your own backfield.

In summary, here’s what I’ve learned that I’m passing on to you:

Seeing you gives someone comfort and reassurance that everything is going to be alright. This may seem like a mystery to you—oftentimes it is—but don’t let that keep you from showing up. Again, life is a ministry of presence.

Until my next post…

God is good. All the time. 

No matter what.

Know you are loved.

Don’t be a hindrance; be a help.

Praying for you. Praying for America.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

#JesusStrong