Practicing the Presence of God

Imago, what is hindering you from experiencing the presence of God right now? If we believe that God is everywhere all the time, experiencing his presence is not dependent on Him. Like the fish who is the last to discover water, we sometimes go through life not truly knowing who/what is around us. This month of December, let’s practice cultivating awareness. Let’s begin the process of looking for and finding the Divine everywhere.

“Practicing the presence of God is a spiritual exercise that challenges us to remain focused on God during an everyday task or chore. Long associated with Brother Lawrence, a monk who wrote about his experiences in Practicing the Presence, it is a spiritual approach to life that asks us to break down barriers that distract us from God’s presence.” ~Alexis Waid

(This does not mean we don’t get stuff done - it means we bring a different kind of thinking to what we are doing, acknowledging that God is present with us as we do anything and cares deeply about all of the aspects of our lives - even the mundane.)

So, what are some things that distract us from the presence of God? I would say in America today we are most distracted by the past and by the future. The things that will never be again, and the things that are not-yet. But only the present is real, and we distract ourselves from it so readily.

“We become so preoccupied with the to-do list and so overwhelmed by the pace of life that we forget to look for God sightings in our day.” ~Calhoun

This month, Imago, could we look for God? And I don’t mean a physical being or voice. I mean something like: seeing God in his creation...seeing God in your relationships...seeing God in your thoughts...seeing God in your emotions. These are the dwelling places of God and we all have access to them.

As you go about your weeks this Advent season, I challenge you to start to see differently. I challenge you to become a little bit more aware of what is around you. And I challenge you to see God in it. It might be hard to see God in changing a diaper, sending an email, cooking a meal, getting ready in the morning, answering a toddler’s question for the 25th time...but I assure you that God is there, in that specific moment. It does not have to be fantastical or accompanied by fanfare (though we know sometimes God is like that and we long for those interactions). All it takes to notice God is a turn of the head, a capture of your attention, and an acknowledgement that God is truly here.

From Genesis 28:16-17 in The Message: Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”

Imago, this is not wishful thinking or finding a silver lining to a bad situation or manipulating a situation to feel differently - this is where faith is tangible and real. Truly God is here among us, God became US to remind us and show us that he IS always here. Amen.

{If you are someone who likes printables to guide your practice, here is one I found that could be useful as you start this practice.}

https://spirituallyhungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Practicing-The-Presence-Worksheet.pdf


Kids’ Version

Friends! It’s December, a time when we focus on the birth of God as Jesus. This month, I have a challenge for you. For every day this month, can you find something around you or in you that reminds you of LOVE, of God?

Here are some examples:

  • I saw some ice on a puddle the other day. It was pretty and reminded me that God made it for me and others to enjoy.

  • Someone has their favorite treat and before they take their last bite, they ask God to join them in the tasting.

  • A friend of mine let me talk to them about a hard thing. It felt like God was listening to me through them.

  • The sunset was beautiful the other day, it set the sky ablaze with color. It was like God saw me.

My hope is that as you go through your day, you realize more and more that God is everywhere and in everything. I hope you find him this month. He’s not hiding. He wants to be noticed - so much that he came to us as a baby in Jesus.

He longs to be kind to you and to enjoy everything with you. Amen.


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