As we drove home from Nashville, I looked up and commented on the beautiful trees. My husband smiled, “Yeah, I’ve been noticing them.” But here’s what he didn’t say, “We are half way home, those trees have been all along the drive and you are just now noticing!”
The previous day was cold and rainy so we took the grandkids to the mall. Me, Steve and the three grands headed to the play area while our daughter and son-in-law gladly went off on their own.
On the way, I made a quick stop into a kid’s clothing store. A young lady greeted me. I said hello and smiled and continued with my task. A few moments later I saw my daughter! It startled me, “Oh, Hi! What are you doing here!” She smiled at me and said, “Mom, you just saw me at the front door. You spoke to me and you smiled at me.”
I had looked right through her. I didn’t even recognize my own daughter! I had assumed she was a store employee.
Have you ever mentally checked out or gone through the motions and not been fully present?
I found the cure for mindlessness in my morning quiet time. In John 15: 1- 11 Jesus used the word “abide” (or abides) ten times! Since that’s kind of an odd word I looked up the Greek definition on Blue Letter Bible.
I was a bit surprised to see the phrase “be present” listed. The text became personal to me.
It became a command from Jesus. When Jesus commands us to act, He has equipped us or will equip us to do so.
We must choose not to just show up. We must choose to BE PRESENT in Christ with our actions, our mind and our heart!
And when we “BE PRESENT” in Christ, look what He promises: You will bear much fruit (verse 5b).
The solution to the problem of mindlessness is to choose to BE PRESENT!
Friends, as we enter into the holiday season, let’s not just show up. Let’s make every effort to BE PRESENT.
Copyright©2017, Gloria Stucky
Photo by Dave Poo on Unsplash