Presence

We live in a fast paced, technologically saturated world. We’re always on the go. Our attention is divided. And our faces are permanently incandescent by the stain left behind by the bright glow emitting from our smartphones.

We all know that we’re addicted to convenience and immediate gratification. We all know that life has taken control and we’ve allowed ourselves to give in. And we all know that we need to be proactive and not reactive to our addictive lifestyles.

We know all of these pitfalls plague us, yet, we’re slow to make any necessary adjustments.

I guess you can say we’ve chalked it up to, “Well, that’s life!”

This unfortunate mindset that we all seemed to have submitted to has many repercussions. And one of those repercussions is the fading away of our presence with one another. Whether it be with our friends and with our neighbors or with our spouses or children, we’ve seemed to substitute quality time together with simply time next to each other doing stuff.

As a parent of three boys who pastors a church, works part time and has been embracing the gift of Poetry and Spoken Word more intentionally, my presence is all the more important. I confess that it has been super challenging for me to leave my busyness at the door when I come home. My mind is always running a hundred miles an hour. I’m constantly thinking about the folks that surround our church and those who are a part of our community. Poem ideas seem to bombard my head more than they used to. And I’m constantly trying to listen to God’s lead.

So, having said that, I guess I better go…