Loneliness. Not fitting in. Sickness. Surgery. New baby. Special needs children. Speaking a different language. Sin. Sorrow. Depression. Anxiety. These and a host of other conditions cause people to be separated from their friends, family, co-workers, and church. Too often, the "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" phenomenon happens. You know what that as. We stop thinking about someone we don't see around anymore. They're away too long and we stop trying to connect with them. Or, we don't understand at all what someone else is going through, and we're afraid to try and help. We just don't know how. Different people, different reasons.
Recently, during a time when we were isolated from people because of frequent and lengthy hospitalizations, I had the time to think about this. People would check in and ask if we needed anything, and I would say, "A visit would be nice.", or "Company would be nice." In times like that, company is what I need more than anything else. However, few people seem to understand this. They have a need to serve in some way, and can't seem to see that, well, a visit would be nice!
This is the ministry of Presence; the ability to spend time with someone else, just for the sake of being company during their trouble. I often wonder why so many, myself included, have such a hard time with this. I don't have an easy answer, because I would guess that every situation is different, just as every person is different from every other person. But I bet that at least one reason is that we don't value our own gift of presence to someone else, even if we know how much we want it for ourselves when it's our turn.
Perhaps if we would let ourselves be content to sit and have tea together, or a soda, or water, and just let the other one speak, we would be surprised, at a later date, to find how important that was to the one we sat with. Sometimes it's to just be with the one we visit. Being alone is often lonely and sad. We don't need to have the answers to someone else's problems, we just need to join them in their suffering.
The Ministry of Presence. Not an official ministry of the church; it can't be regulated and it can't be forced. It's a call to love and lay ourselves down for each other.
How about that one who's been missing from your life for a while? Today is the best day to try and reconnect. Consider this a challenge. And please let me know how things work out.
Love and blessings to my readers today.
Recently, during a time when we were isolated from people because of frequent and lengthy hospitalizations, I had the time to think about this. People would check in and ask if we needed anything, and I would say, "A visit would be nice.", or "Company would be nice." In times like that, company is what I need more than anything else. However, few people seem to understand this. They have a need to serve in some way, and can't seem to see that, well, a visit would be nice!
This is the ministry of Presence; the ability to spend time with someone else, just for the sake of being company during their trouble. I often wonder why so many, myself included, have such a hard time with this. I don't have an easy answer, because I would guess that every situation is different, just as every person is different from every other person. But I bet that at least one reason is that we don't value our own gift of presence to someone else, even if we know how much we want it for ourselves when it's our turn.
Perhaps if we would let ourselves be content to sit and have tea together, or a soda, or water, and just let the other one speak, we would be surprised, at a later date, to find how important that was to the one we sat with. Sometimes it's to just be with the one we visit. Being alone is often lonely and sad. We don't need to have the answers to someone else's problems, we just need to join them in their suffering.
The Ministry of Presence. Not an official ministry of the church; it can't be regulated and it can't be forced. It's a call to love and lay ourselves down for each other.
How about that one who's been missing from your life for a while? Today is the best day to try and reconnect. Consider this a challenge. And please let me know how things work out.
Love and blessings to my readers today.
