christmas presence

“Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, who believes that this moment is the moment.” Henri J. M Nouwen

I love this quote that Tim used in his sermon this week. My heart was thirsty to hear it. I am always looking forward to the next thing...and I very rarely make a point of being content & fully present in the moment. I love the thought that every moment has the possibility of becoming a holy moment, a lesson learned, or a happy memory if you are only present to it and willing to be shaped by it.

Tim talked about clearing our lives out to make room for those type of moments. Letting go of stuff...of stuffing ourselves with things...letting go of busyness...so that you can have space to be quiet/be relational/be thankful/be creative/be hungry/to want/to wait/to be alive.

I am going to try and apply this to my life this Christmas season. Instead of letting myself get totally obsessed with gift-getting/making/list-making/cookie-baking, I am going take it down a few notches and try to live in the moment more. To put relationships first. And to be present to the people I love, to God & to the little holy moments that are happening all around me.