The Power of Staying

Presence, a rocking chair, and Legos

“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’” (Matthew 26:36).

“Come sit with me, Mama,” my son, Isaac, says to me with wide eyes and a hand pointing to his bedroom. It’s his invitation for me to join him in his room on a rocking chair while he plays with his Legos. I sit and watch. He creates, dreams and builds.

“Look at this good guy and my Lego city,” he says, holding up a mini-figure that rides in his newly created speedboat. My son wants my presence, wants me to delight in his joy. But often, I think I’m too busy to sit with him like this. There’s dinner to prepare and laundry to put away. There are dishes to wash and emails to answer. I have no shortage of tasks on my to-do list.

Yet, no matter what I’m doing or how exasperated I seem to him, Isaac calls to me: “Come sit with me, Mama.”

He simply wants my presence.

This invitation to offer our presence is where we find ourselves this month. During Lent, we’re reminded of God’s abiding presence. Too often I see all the things I need to do, all that’s left undone. But Isaac has taught me, over and over again, that being with others and being with God is the most important thing.

When are you experiencing this abiding presence?

Perhaps when you linger over books with your children. Or when you mark the sign of the cross on their foreheads, feeling their warmth. Or when you mix flour, water, salt and yeast to bake bread to share with a neighbor. God desires our presence, and the Spirit nudges us to offer it to others. God is here to meet us where we find ourselves, fully immersed in our days.

As the season unfolds, may you find moments to simply bask in God’s presence. Take a seat on a rocking chair or your couch. Inhale and exhale deeply. Read a verse of Scripture. Trust that God is with you and loves you.

// This originally appeared on Living Lutheran. Read more here to find some prayer practices to try.

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What I’ve Read

• No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister was our book club pick this month. The book chronicles ten readers and how one story impacts and changes their lives.

• The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters lives up to the hype. It’s a story of family and loss after a Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine.

• The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart. I volunteered at the Children's Literature Festival at the University of Central Missouri a few weeks ago. I listened to Erin Stewart and immediately checked out her book from the library. It’s a YA book about mental health, art, and the words and relationships that save us.

  In her talk she reminded the students that we all have a story to tell. But also others around us have stories that need to be heard.

• What Happened to Rachel Riley by

  Author - Claire Swinarski
  is a middle grade book that delves into sexual harassment in schools and the power of friendship and using our voices to bring justice and healing.

• How to Human by Carlos Whittaker was passed on to me by my friend Lizette who said, “Everyone needs to read this book.” She was right. Carlos reminds his readers that he “doesn’t stand on issues, he walks with people.”

What I’m Reading with the Children

• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. I am a HUGE fan of Kate DiCamillo. This was the first book (other than all the Mercy Watson books) that the kids and I read together of hers. Afterwards we watched the movie and had a good time comparing and contrasting the book from the movie.

  Colby Sharp
  who I follow for reading recommendations once said he figured out what the best Kate DiCamillo read aloud was. “It’s the one you’re reading with your kids at the moment.” I agree.

Signs of spring

Give me moments untethered
hands free and eyes open.
Give me a gentle breeze
and the melody of wind chimes.
Give me robins hopping with worms in their mouths
and the flurry of squirrels chasing up and down trees.
Give me red buds and daffodils
and the scent of lilacs.
Give me dog walkers and kids on scooters.
Give me city workers caring for the park
and children pumping their legs on a swing.
Give me deep breaths
and feeling held by the earth.
Give me the peace to trust nature’s timing
and to know spring always comes again.