It’s another day of ministry at our care point. As I do every morning here, I walk over to the kitchen to greet the Mage and Gogos.
“Sawobona, Ungani?” Hello, how are you?
We talk about their mornings and how early they wake up to be here to cook for the kids. We chat about their families and what their weekend is going to look like.
Soon they put me to work. I get sticks to start the fire and collect them under a giant metal pot. The gogos work their magic and get the fire burning big. I fill a 5-gallon bucket with water from the spicket and pour it into the pot. And then repeat that three and a half times (they’re very specific about how much water is needed). We put the lid on and wait for the water to boil. As the water heats, I empty bags and bags of dried rice into a bucket to pour into the water later. We line up all the preschool kids and listen to them say their sweet prayer of thanking the Lord for the food. Then I serve them sour porridge (taste like a gritty applesauce). We add more sticks to the fire to keep it going.
And then, we just… sit.
I hear the fire crackling behind me, growing bigger with the wind. I hear the chickens digging for food outside the window. I hear the kiddos giggling big belly laughs with my team. I listen to the gogo’s deep, strained breathing from the smoke, from the fire, and from the hard life they’ve lived so far.
We sit in silence, patiently waiting for the water to be ready, enjoying the little break and the joyful noises around us. We’re fully content in being where we are.
The Lord does the same with us. He sits with us in our silence and is purely present with us.
As humans, our minds wander to nostalgia of the past, thoughts of what tomorrow will look like, dreams or fears of what the future will hold.
For years I’ve prayed that the Lord would help me to be present in any circumstance. To be fully where He has me. To have a ministry of presence.
God is perfect at this ministry of presence.
I’ve always thought of the Lord’s presence as a comfort during my distress or difficult seasons, and that’s true. But His presence is also a comfort in the mundane and the joyful as well. Just like me and the gogos sitting in each other’s company waiting for the water to boil.
He’s there when we wake in the morning. He sits with us as we eat lunch. He’s there watching over us as we sleep. He’s been before us in every moment, will be with us for every future moment, and is always with us in the present. Omnipresent
Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
As limited creation, we can’t be omnipresent but we can reflect this character of the Lord by being present with the people He surrounds us with.
When we trust Him as being fully present everywhere, we are finally free to be fully present wherever He has placed us. Face-to-face with those we love, seeking the face of God.
