Copyright@2010 by Kerry and Chris Shook
(Published by Waterbrook Press 12265 Oracle Blvd, Ste. 200 Colorado, Springs, Co. 80921)
Week 1: The Art of Being All There
Day 2: Face to Face (Practicing the Art of Being all There)
Series Scripture: “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity” Prov. 17:17
Quote: “To the world you may be just one person, but tone person you may be the world”- Brandi Snyder
At one time, something as simple as talking face to face with the people around us was evidence of relationship. But in a time of the world wide web, staying close is a quick as clicking a button. Our modern life and culture have led us to believe that relationships should come to us. We’re used to calls coming in, message notifications popping up on our iPhone, and e-mails materializing in our inbox. In many ways our relationships seem to arrive at our doorstep, so to speak, and we end up managing the people in our lives through keystrokes and mouse clicks.
Why is physical presence important in relationships? For one thing, just the effort it takes to show up in someone’s life speaks volumes. These actions validates the notion of sacrifice that is needed for relationships. The cost of friendship shown in the act of being there tells a person they are important to you. Most communication takes place nonverbally through facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.
In Hebrews 13:5 God says to us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” That verse is a powerful reminder to me of the value my Creator places on his relationship with me. God chooses to be all there for me no matter what I go through in life. God is never too busy. God is never preoccupied with something more important. He is always present and available.
The point of each day’s reading this week is to explore the art of being all there. It starts with physical presence - showing up in person to be with someone in their life experiences. The simple part of being all there is deciding to do it. The hard part is the cost of being there in terms of time, energy and commitment.
Challenge
Think about the three relationships you named yesterday. Hopefully, you wrote those names down in your relationship journal . Consider the personal cost to you of being present with each one of them. Are they worth it to you? Are they worth the cost of your time , energy and commitment?
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