Presence

I am easily distracted. In fact, in one such easily distracted moment, I was perusing Facebook and came across an article that chronicled the unfortunate misstep of a distracted person. Literally. A young man was so distracted by his phone that he walked off a literal cliff to his death. At first I was amused, and then deeply saddened by yet another life thrown away because of distractions (not to mention countless other accidents at the hands of electronic devices). As I read the comments, I saw hundreds of people berating the individual, as well as a generation, as well as a culture, and an entire lifestyle. And I was nodding in agreement... until I realized I, too, am that person. I just don't frequent cliffsides.

I am distracted. I am distracted from the moment I wake up, to the moment I go to sleep. I am checking and rechecking, trying to stay current with the latest memes, or the latest music, or perhaps news events. I am watching yet another cat video, cute child, or foolish teenager. I am checking the past on timehop, food and travel on instagram, the social lives of my peers on facebook. Even as I wait in line at the grocery store, I'm checking and rechecking. I'm waiting for a friend. Checking. I'm in an awkward social situation. Rechecking. I'm sitting by myself at a fastfood restaurant on my way from here to there. Checking.

And it's not just my phone that distracts me. It's everything. It's the radio. It's a book. A movie, perhaps. Or Netflix. It's grading papers. It's how much I have to do. Or it's how much I don't want to do it.

But to simply be. To simply be present with people. To listen, to talk, to enjoy each other. To listen deeply, not just hear. To be fully present in the moment without the distractions of technology, or stuff, or anything else. That is a rarity.

The Christmas season is perhaps one of the richest seasons to be present... full of Christ, family, conversations, joy, and friendship. But it is also one of the most distracted. Food and preparation, shopping, toys, trinkets, and clothes. New technology, posting updates, staying in touch with people far away. Christ gets lost in the stuff, and family gets lost in the preparations.

The same is true for me as I think of my relationship with the Lord. Some days it seems I allow every other thing to come first. I find I push aside precious moments with Him for yet another Jimmy Fallon clip, an amusing Buzzfeed post, or a magazine. And at the end of the day, I turn off the light and whisper that I didn't have time and I'm too tired, yet scan Facebook for another twenty minutes until my eyelids droop shut to the glow of a blue screen.

As I stand gazing at an empty calendar for 2016, I want it to be different. It takes intentionality to break habits. So presence is my word for 2016.

Presence is two-fold.

Presence with people.
Presence with the Lord.

To Embrace His presence. To Engage with people, not technology.

What would it be like to ask one thing of the Lord: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. ? (Ps. 27:4)

Really David? Of all the things to ask of the Lord... why that?

How many times do I focus on the Lord's presents, instead of His presence?
How many times do I forfeit moments of peace because I would rather spend my time with distractions, even good ones (see Mary and Martha: Luke 10:38-42).

From the dawn of time to the end of it, the Lord is obsessed with relationship. With presence.

He created man for relationship: between man and woman, mankind and God, and mankind and nature. With the first sin, relationships were marred. And yet, God entered into the world as a baby. To be present. Then to die in order to restore broken relationships between sinful humans and a holy God. To restore all creation, groaning under the weight of sin. To bring hope.

I know that just like there were moments I failed at being brave in 2015, there will be moments (let's face it... lots of them) in 2016 that I will fail at being present. But my delight is in the Lord, and that one day I will dwell in His presence without distractions:

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God himself will be with them as their God'" Rev. 21:3.