Presence

When you love someone, the most precious gift you can give your loved one is your true presence… Without your full presence you won’t be able to recognize others, and they will feel unseen, misunderstood, and unloved.  Thich Nhat Hahn

______________________________

Lord

we live in a world of multi-tasking

we rush through life

with cell phones

iPads

computers

we write and talk

we produce

we offer ourselves on the altar

of productivity

but in the midst of it all

we are not present

we convince ourselves that it must be this way

we convince ourselves that we are “doing good”

we are doing it for our families

we are doing it for our congregations

we are doing it for our communities

we are doing it for those we serve and help

and yet

and yet

we are not in the moment

we are not present

we are not there

for our families

our congregations

we are not there for the person

who is right there in front of us

and needs

more than

anything else

one thing

us

Forgive us Lord

Help us to walk gently through our days

Help us to be

present