(2.5 minute read) Bethany is 7 years old and she loves to spend time playing outside. On a cool but sunny Saturday afternoon, Bethany and her dad dropped off her mom to run an errand in a neighborhood they are not familiar with. Instead of waiting in the car, Bethany and her dad took a stroll around the neighborhood. They spotted a playground and Bethany got excited as it had a colorful slide and she loves to slide.

There was a bench a bit distant from where the slide was and dad sat on it and told Bethany to go onto the slide. The smile on Bethany’s face disappeared and she stood still a step away from her dad. She extended her arm with an open hand, and dad smiled, stood up, took her small hand and said, “Oh you want me close to you as you slide.” A bigger smile surfaced on Bethany’s face and they both walked towards the slide.

Here are two possible endings to this story.

Ending #1;
Bethany slides down and has a terrific and fun time. Elated, she runs to her dad, wraps her little arms as far she can muster around him and squeeze. Dad feels the tender love of Bethany and he is ecstatic. His presence with Bethany allowed her experience to be greater and grander, and he felt and experienced her joy. Dad did not do anything, he was just there.

Ending #2;
Bethany slides down, and somehow along the way tips to one side. Bethany takes a tumble or two and scrapes her knee. As she comes to a stop she realizes her knee is bloody. She runs to her dad, buries her head in his chest and cries. Dad feels the pain and hurt that Bethany is experiencing. His presence with Bethany allowed her to be comforted and to feel supported, and he felt and experienced her pain. Dad did not do anything, he was just there.

We encounter these two circumstances throughout our lifetime interchangeably. We somehow look for our God, our Lord and Creator to impact, influence and even change outcomes for us. We implore Him to do just that almost on a daily basis. In my humble opinion God is clear in saying, “Train yourself on knowing and recognizing MY (God’s) PRESENCE, and I (God) PROMISE you that you will feel SECURE, and filled with PEACE and JOY throughout ANYTHING.”

Indeed our Lord and Creator is a God of miracles, but like Bethany let us not look for Him to heel the wound, rather experience His PRESENCE for comfort as our wound heels. Let us train ourselves to feel and experience His PRESENCE for our joy will multiply.

Like Bethany, all we should need/want is for our Lord and Creator to be there. We KNOW He is, now we need to train ourselves to feel and experience that He is. To train is to nurture and to grow. Till next week 🙂