About Doing and Being

I have had some rather busy days. I am not a ‘doer’ as such, and I do not care much for business. Still, there are times I pull myself together and head into a storm of activity. I work full time, but this week I felt a strong need to see one of my children whom I had not seen for some time, midweek. We jumped in the car, drove for about three hours and paid him a surprise visit. We ate, talked, hugged, and left. It was very good. We dropped in on old friends in town, too – just for a rather late night and early breakfast. The quality of these brief meetings lay in being present, being there and having opportunity to see each other, hear each other, and to sit in Morning Prayer together.

            

            I made it back in time to teach my classes and to sit in staff meetings. The same evening was booked for a somewhat new challenge. I sing alto in the local church choir, but this evening I was challenged to take on the soprano parts, and some of them were uncomfortably high. Still, I cherish the beauty of the annual candle light service in the old medieval stone church, with its antiphonal singing, its crisp air, and close comfort in all being present. It was a special service, and I left, feeling enriched.

The morning after would normally be a leisurely Saturday, but this week there was parent visitation at our boarding school, and parent-teacher conferences. I was not heavily booked, so I made my contribution being one of mingling with the crowd. To be honest, that is my biggest challenge. I do not like crowds; I avoid them, normally.  I am a shy person with a relatively strong presence; I like to have defined roles to act out in public. So, I dressed up rather formally, sporting a lady suit, wanting to contribute to an overall positive image of our school. It gave me a role, and at the end of the last meal, my heart was full of gratitude for the student body, their families and the whole institution I am part of. Only my feet suffered. They hurt!

Sunday is the Day of Rest. Our kitten, Baldrian, sensed I was awake around 5:30 a.m. and pounced on my comforter. The sweet little critter stepped all over me, and I did get up. I was in charge of Sunday school this Sunday, and our choir was also singing in church. Normally we do not have such overlap. We never know if anyone comes for Sunday school – but we had a nice group this morning, mostly of preschoolers. Shy and shiny-eyed little mischief boys, a girl toddler and some of the migrant children followed the story, said the memory verse, sang our version of the memory verse – and enjoyed the game. May the Lord work in their hearts. Miracles happen. As for myself, I found the gentle quiet in the middle of buzzing squeaks and noises. In our midst was the presence of the Lord Jesus.

There was a comforting sense of just being there, which snuffed out the stress factor in all these activities. Needless to say, I do not intend to keep the pressure up. But there are times when life demands it of me; and I am happy to answer with being encompassed by the Presence of the one who Is.

Jesus Christ, Pantocrator