FOREVER IN HIS PRESENCE

My bliss is being in the Presence of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  In my understanding this Holy Trinity Community is really the One True God.  I enjoy being in His Presence, getting to know Him and being in a relationship with Him.  I also enjoy being in the presence of people, getting to know them and being in a relationship with them.  Being in one another’s presence does not necessarily mean doing anything or needing anything; it’s simply being with them. I continually ask for a hospitable heart; a heart that is welcoming and open to others; especially to God.

I think that is why I loved Camp so much.  It was a life filled with God’s Presence because we were out in nature all day and all night; and we were with one another in that Presence together.  We had a schedule of activities, but we did not have an agenda other than to have fun while we learned new skills and also learn how to get along with one another.  Special bonds developed between people as we walked along the creek and sat along the bank with our feet dangling in the water; while we cooked our dinner over a fire and then sat around that fire singing, eating s’mores, and looking up at the stars we were sleeping under.  Good conversation and good company made those times very special and left me with enduring memories.

My favorite time of the day is in the morning when I have my time alone with God over a cup of coffee.  The sweet stillness of that time stays with me throughout the day.  I enjoy the Presence as I sit in silence, read the Bible, and just get to know God better.  My only goal during this time is to enjoy Him, enjoy His company, and enjoy our conversation.

My friend Leslie and I used to spend a lot of time walking along the tow path at Great Falls, especially in the Autumn.  We would take a lunch and our guitars and find a quiet place to sit and sing and take with one another.  Such simple pleasures flood my memories and always make me smile.

Now that I am growing old and not able to get around much, I enjoy these quiet, simple pleasures even more. My time with God has increases far beyond the morning Quiet Time.  There is a true dwelling in the Presence all day long that I enjoy more than anything else.  Friends have passed on and I find myself more on my own now; but every once in awhile someone comes to visit, to simply sit and talk. 

Sometimes I like to imagine what heaven will be like.  I see porches with rocking chairs, paths along a creek, campfires, skies filled with stars, and simple folks who appreciate simple pleasures and simply enjoy being in one another’s presence.  As the backdrop to that vision I keep in mind the verse, “Wherever two or three are gathered, I am there in the midst of them.”