Life As I Live It… » Blog Archive » The ‘Ministry of Presence’

The ‘Ministry of Presence’

Lately I've been finding myself deep inside a tension between caring and becoming overwhelmed. I have the deep privillage of being invited into peoples lives daily. I sit with multiple people everyday and listen to their stories, share laughs, hugs, tears, etc. I get to pray, encourage, give to, and receive from people countless times every week. It really is an incredible blessing to have been given the life God has given me. That said, I often become quite overwhelmed by life. The world is with out question in a bad way, and I'm consistently surrounded by people who have lost all hope.

It's in these moments of overwhelming and desperate need for peace, rest, guidence, wisdom, etc… that God has proved to me His faithfulness time and again. A couple weeks ago I was feeling particularly defeated, and God encouraged me during a chat with a buddy. He, like me, spends his days surrounded by marginalized people. He was able to speak such encouragment and life into me when I so badly needed just that. We talked about how often we wonder if what we do is enough, when God reminded him of something he'd read. The following was written by Henri Nouwen, and God spoke to me deeply through these words:

“More and more, the desire grows in me to simply walk around, greet people, enter into homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice the simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be a part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets.

It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them but truly love them.”

[Henri Nouwen in Gracias! Published in 1983, pg. 147-148]

At the end of last week I started to feel very heavy again, because while I believe Henri's words completely, I very quickly loose sight of their simple truth. Is it really enough to just 'be' with the broken, lost, tired, lonely, afraid, abandoned, abused, rejected… ? This question isn't new to me, but neither is the answer. God very clearly spoke to me about a year and half ago. I had just asked the same question (while working at Starbucks) and His answer was – "Share life with others and love them as you do. Always remain true to who you are in Me." As I read Henri's words again today I hear the voice of God saying: "Yes, it's enough, because I am in you, and I AM enough."

This entry was posted on Monday, December 15th, 2008 at 5:06 pm and is filed under eyes and ears, lessons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

4 Responses to “The ‘Ministry of Presence’”

mom Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." MATTHEW 7:13-14 "Arise shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, the darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. ISAIAH 60:1-2 "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, and to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1 (read on to the end of the chapter) "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve." Jeremiah 32:17-19 "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lam.3:22 "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement.." Philemon 1:4-7 I love you son…..and I am so proud of you. You would not be wrestling with the very deep and real tensions and extremes of caring and feeling overwhelmed if you did not have God's heart and weren't willing to put yourself on the front lines and make a difference for His sake. Many never feel this because they stay comfortable and live behind walls of apathy and selfishness. Just remember that "God sees all" and like I've told you…."you have an audience of one" …the Lord Jesus. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb.11:6) and Chad…… wisemen do still seek Him. And remember son…..that only God can change a heart……we do our part and then we rest in Him because like you so eloguently concluded "HE IS ENOUGH." I love and cling to this verses in Psalm 61:1-2 "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer, From the ends of the earth I call to you, When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I. I love that the word "overwhelmed" is used because it wouldn't be if God didn't know that sometimes we would live there. Every time I feel overwhelmed (and that's a little too often for my liking these last years) I try to run quickly to Jesus with it……He has never not met me and/or comforted and settled my heart. Sometimes I have to sit at His feet for awhile…..and sometimes the process is ongoing but that's o.k. For the last while I have been praying Galatians 6:9 over you Chad. I shared it before but I share it again. "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Keep on son…..God goes before you…..and HE IS USING YOU!!! It's a hard time of year for many reasons…..people seem to feel the weight of grief, loss, lonlieness, and trouble in this season but the message of the manger is still simple and hopeful….. God is able to deal with the challenges and even though our "wishlist for people" may not be completed He will tend to the items He sees fit to. The "list" is in His hands……He is the giver of life….and hope. We do what we can (what He leads us to) and then we trust Him with the rest. The fact that our hearts remain broken for the l"ost and hurting"is a good thing. Perhaps that's our Christmas gift to Him. May His presence and love overwhelm and encourage your heart and soul today…..you are so loved by Him…….and by me!!! Hugs, Mom
Auntie Cheryl Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Chad, I'm blessed by your honesty. And your mom's comments. I – too often – don't take the risks by reaching into others lives. "In your weakness – may you find Christ's strength". Love you. Auntie Cheryl
daniel schuster Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
great word chad…I AM should be enough, still we somehow look for more…somewhere…somehow…sometimes catching a glimpse (if only for a moment) i bless you bro…what a great journey we're on…i pray that you continue being caught 'red-handed' attending to the needs of the marginalized…i pray that people around you see that you're a Christian NOT because you attend a weekly gathering, but because you live out community with the purpose of transforming the fabric of society by your acts of sacrificial love (words, handshakes & hugs)… i need you in my journey…thanks for being honest & being there… peace, d.
dschu Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
in reading your mom's comments, i'm reminded too, of that chunk of scripture in matt. 25 right before the 'sheep & goats' passage (which we were always led to read it to mean 'christians & unbelievers' when it SHOULD read 'people who care for the overlooked & people who don't'…that simple…not sure why we don't teach/hear it that way)… …but it's that chunk about how we choose to invest our lives (talents)…check it out, it's crazy… matt. 25: 25-27 [msg]"…I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.' "The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least?…" then he goes on to explain the "cost" of living cautiously, when he says (in verse 28-30)"…get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness." ouch! that's gotta hurt, don't you think? bro…you & i are called to "go out on a limb" everyday with people who may never recognize the sacrifice we're making…RECKLESS FAITH really, right? reckless obedience to God in everything…and it'll look like a complete mess, count on it! keep on it bro…"the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world" 1 john 4:4 [nlt] peace, d.