I Need You to be Present

I tend to be a whiner these days.

The world disappoints me.

A lot.

More specifically, people in the world disappoint me.  The way they treat each other, the things they say to each other, the selfish choices they make leave me feeling disheartened and quite frankly, pessimistic about the future. 

Thus, it's become a common theme in my prayer life for me to ask, no, beg, for Christ to return, pull the plug on the Earth episode, and bring us all home.

This morning, as I was washing my hands at the kitchen sink, preparing to gather up my gear and head out the door for work, I heard God say, "Come spend some time with me." 

When it comes to obedience in the spiritual realm, I will admit that I have often been a slow learner, choosing to go my own way rather than "hopping to" at God's request.  Insisting on my own way has almost always resulted in a less-than-desirable end.

So, I grabbed a dish towel, wiped my hands, and headed for the chair. 

After grabbing my prayer beads and inviting God to join me, I conferred with God, concerning the various people and issues on my mind. 

Heart broken by the brokenness of the people I had prayed for, I once again pleaded with God to return.

And then I stopped.

And waited.

A voice, clear and matter-of-factly, said,

I need you to be present. 

Those six simple words felt like a warm rain on a hot, summer day.

I have allowed myself to get sucked into the mire.  I have been focusing on all that I perceive to be wrong, depressing, and hopeless in the world - not worrying about, but resigning myself to the inevitable depravity preceding Christ's return.

This morning, God pushed the reset button and reminded me that the sights need readjustment because I'm missing His intended target.

To explain, I am on this earth, right now, to bring glory to God.  My only job is to stay attuned to His still, small voice and move when He says, "Go."

I need you to be present.

These days, people, including me, do not need to be reminded about or fixate upon all that is wrong in this life.  Pain, heartache, disappointment, discord, selfishness, and evil are everywhere; they are inescapable. 

What they do need is kindness, patience, a gentle glance, encouragement, hope, and the most precious commodity of all, time. 

I need to be present in order to give people what they need.

"Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see,
Everything that I keep missing,
Give your love for humanity.
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.
Give me Your eyes so I can see."