Presence

Walking in a room -

where your presence dwells,

where my knees will bend,

where my heart will sing;

and silence -

where your voice is heard.

In silence,

the busy noises cease,

and I rest.

Where your presence sits,

peace floods in like a wave,

smashing against the chaos

of the heart.

There's no resistance -

only surrender.

Even if the flesh fights for a while,

it eventually bows,

acknowledging You.

The atmosphere changes.

Things start to shift.

The body becomes uncomfortable,

but the spirit yearns.

The soul waits,

tarries -

not for an answer,

not for wants and needs;

just simply for your presence.

In moments of clutter,

when everything seems to fall apart.

Break.

When the soul feels far from You,

like distance stretched out in years,

You knock at the heart.

Once opened,

You embrace,

encircling this soul with your agape love.

I stay as your presence fills,

wounds, growth,

honest words,

numbness, groanings.

I linger as You heal and speak,

through whichever way You choose.

I walk in a room -

where your presence was,

yet You were always with me.

Reflection:

In the midst of feeling overwhelmed by personal issues and during my struggle in walking with the Lord, the poem 'Presence' was birthed. At its core was my heart's desire to be surrounded by Him and to remain there - partly to rest, but mostly to draw closer to Him, as I felt so distant from Him.

Through this poem, I came to realize that God's nearness is constant, even when it feels distant - reminding me that He will not leave me nor abandon me. I also recognized that I do not have to be in a specific place to experience Him, because He has always been there with me.

The poem reminded me that even in silence the Lord speaks - but not always in ways that are immediately recognizable.

'Presence' reflects how His nearness reveals and releases things we carry in our hearts, even things we did not realize were there. While this process is not comfortable, it brings healing - and I know that to be true.

If you feel led to reflect, the question below offers a gentle place to begin.

When have you felt distant from God, and what has that distance revealed to you?