BEING PRESENT

I was watching a murder mystery last night and this detective was speaking with a witness. She described what happened like this: “He was 15 steps away from me, his head was down, his hands were shaking, he stood facing North.”

When asked how she knew these details when it happened so quickly, she replied, “I like to be present.”

That line struck me. Like many people, I struggle with being present. I decided this morning on my walk to practice it. I was present in every step and I noticed an incredible number of things because of it. The different songs of birds, the way the air felt sticky but the breeze was cool, the sound of music and woodworking tools coming from garages and more. I even took some time to be present with a baby squirrel who wanted to pause his frantic pace and enjoy a staring contest with me.

By being present, all of my senses were affected. I saw things of beauty I have never noticed before. I smelled the onset of rain. I felt the light breeze graze my arms. I tasted the coolness of the water I brought with me. I heard the sounds of an early Saturday morning.

By being present, I was able to enjoy His majestic creation.

Opposition to truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance,^[a] because from the creation of the world, the invisible qualities^[b] of God’s nature have been made visible, such as his eternal power and transcendence. He has made his wonderful attributes easily perceived,^[c] for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible.^[d] So then, this leaves everyone without excuse. Romans 1:20 TPT

Be present and see the visible, so we can understand the invisible.