the gift of presence

I arrive home from a day at the office or running errands, and I am greeted with a joyful greeting from my little Easton. His routine is always the same. He will step out of his crate, tail-wagging, lower to the ground and wait for a rub down. He’ll stretch. He’ll then rush excitedly to search for a toy to come show me. The most important thing in his life is companionship, and he always looks back to make sure I’m watching, following, or listening. If I’m not, he is sure to get my attention in the ways he knows best. A cracked blackberry, destroyed camera card, chewed pair of eyeglasses, and shredded pair of panties later, I could not be any more certain that my dog knows how to get to me. Afterall, his greatest moments are those spent with his mama.

Everyone wants to be loved and to feel a sense of belonging in some way or other.

For those of us who have friends and family near and dear to us in the holiday season, we cherish the moments together. For me, I am most excited about the thought of simply gathering together, possibly celebrating with food, and possibly celebrating with a bit too much food. This is the season that traditionally affects our waistlines, our wallets, and possibly even our sanity. There is a countdown clock at work that plagues me with the greatest of anxiety, and I’m even keeping it simple this year! Despite these challenges during the busyness of the season, it is with the greatest of anticipation that I still countdown towards the day we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. Pastor Rick of the People’s Church shared a message this past Sunday, reminding us of the ultimate gift, stating, “God has come down to man…for a reason…and promises to never leave us.” In this it is made clear that we are children of God to which His presence was made known among us. Even more extraordinary is that Jesus gave up divine privileges so that He could make a way for US. He became the connection. This was the fulfillment of God’s promise to us, and further proof that He would never leave us or forsake us, as is written in His Word.

So it is in this holiday season that we get to enjoy the presence of God.