It’s about Presence
One of the purposes of Eremos is to invite people to step back from the busyness of life and behold the Source of life. In years past, I have been so ‘busy’ that often I have not been able to do the stepping back myself. This year is different. We changed the Open House from early December to January. This meant the whole of Thanksgiving weekend was not spent decorating the house. What a gift that was! Then last week there was one meeting after the other and I found myself wondering if all those meetings were really necessary. And in that question I discovered the need to not only ‘step back’ but also to embrace the life that calls to me to be present.
How much of our response to life come from reaction rather than presence? How much of what we engage in comes from a gift of ourselves to others? This year has been a profound awareness of the difference it makes when I am fully present to others in their invitations to be present. I have had to tell people that I am not able to be with them because I am just not able to be present even though I wish I could be. I find I can take some folks to my favorite pecan shop and not worry about the time it takes to get there or find what they want for a gift. I can sit in a group of contemplative women and just let the Spirit lead us where she wants us to go. I am finding I can be present when I let go and simply ‘BE’ holding the moment as it beholds me. What a blessing that is!
And I have discovered that to ‘behold the Source of life’ is what all of this is truly about. I stand in utter amazement at people’s ability to create opportunities for others to welcome the Spirit. I went to the Wildflower Center this past weekend and all of the people who placed the luminarias creating a ‘trail of light’, all of the musicians who gifted us with music, the amazing people who helped children create works of art, people who stood in the cold to welcome us to a space they love – it was all a gift of presence.
This season we celebrate God coming to us in human form. As you prepare for the celebration of this time of presents, I pray you will discover in your life the awareness of how different life is when we can truly be present to the One who is Presence to us.
