Taking Time

 

3/7/2023

John 12:35 “So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that the darkness will not overtake you…’”

It doesn’t always take much to be there for another person. Really, all it takes is your time. Today, I had some things come up at work after I should have been done for the day. These were not work-related tasks, but rather things that just required me to stay a bit longer. One was a lengthy conversation with someone who just needed to catch me up on what was happening in his life and unload a little. The other was just me hitting pause to check in with one of my coworkers when her day went a little sideways. What I know is that God orchestrated these two events one right after the other, so I was still in the building. Sure, I was hungry, as I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but God’s plan for that time was more important. Now I am not trying to pat myself on the back; I am just trying to be more mindful of others, especially during this Lenten season. I definitely felt that familiar Spirit nudge, for sure. I know better than to ignore it.

In this crazy busy world where many of us travel through life looking down at our phones, pausing to notice someone in need does not always happen. Most people’s hearts are in the right place, but it takes a bit of a slowdown to be in someone’s life, even momentarily. I remember when I was a kid, neighbors chatted over the fence or had visits for a morning coffee together. These were never appointments, they just happened organically. No pressure. Kids knocked on each other’s front doors to ask their friend to come out and play. A group of neighborhood kids would organize all kinds of activities spontaneously with each other. I remember playing kickball or red rover, having coloring contests as we sat on the sidewalk, traveling from one pool to the next to swim in a single day. Nowadays, we must schedule everything for both kids and adults.

I believe the result in this shift is one of stress and often disconnection. Studies show that people feel more isolated now than ever before, even though we have technology that allows us to stay connected. A Facebook message or text, however, can not take the place of being in the same space as another person. People are lonely, and yes, it is incumbent upon each one of us to find ways to lessen that feeling. As believers, though, we are called to reach out to a broken and hurting world. We are called to the great commission.

We need, all of us, to gather together and share a story, a meal, or just a simple conversation. Even though I am an extreme hermit, I am trying to break out of my comfort zone to be in the presence of others, or to make a simple phone call to check in. There is no replacement for seeing someone’s face or even hearing their voice. I imagine how present Jesus must have been when talking to someone. They must have felt like the only person in the world. You can hear this through His words in the Gospels. He is present even now. If the God of the universe can give me His attention with all the people who talk to Him every second of every day, shouldn’t I be able to pause and do that for another?

Be present. Be still. Pause. Give time.