Focal verse
“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’” (Matthew 26:36).
Reflection
“Come sit with me, Mama,” my son, Isaac, says to me with wide eyes and a hand pointing to his bedroom. It’s his invitation for me to join him in his room on a rocking chair while he plays with his Legos. I sit and watch. He creates, dreams and builds.
“Look at this good guy and my Lego city,” he says, holding up a mini-figure that rides in his newly created speedboat. My son wants my presence, wants me to delight in his joy. But often, I think I’m too busy to sit with him like this. There’s dinner to prepare and laundry to put away. There are dishes to wash and emails to answer. I have no shortage of tasks on my to-do list.
Yet, no matter what I’m doing or how exasperated I seem to him, Isaac calls to me: “Come sit with me, Mama.”
He simply wants my presence.
This invitation to offer our presence is where we find ourselves this month. As Lent begins, we’re reminded of God’s abiding presence. Too often I see all the things I need to do, all that’s left undone. But Isaac has taught me, over and over again, that being with others and being with God is the most important thing.
When are you experiencing this abiding presence? Perhaps when you linger over books with your children. Or when you mark the sign of the cross on their foreheads, feeling their warmth. Or when you mix flour, water, salt and yeast to bake bread to share with a neighbor. God desires our presence, and the Spirit nudges us to offer it to others. God is here to meet us where we find ourselves, fully immersed in our days.
As the season unfolds, may you find moments to simply bask in God’s presence. Take a seat on a rocking chair or your couch. Inhale and exhale deeply. Read a verse of Scripture. Trust that God is with you and loves you.
Practices
- Take a few minutes as a family to breathe deeply. Do this right before you walk out the door each morning, or at bedtime. Breathe together and focus on where you are.
- Read together Glenys Nellist’s book ’Twas the Season of Lent (Zonderkidz, 2024), which makes a great devotional to share over a meal or before bed. This 40-day devotional and storybook explores the life, words and works of Jesus and encourages families to draw closer to God during the Lenten season.
Prayer practices
Find an illustration of Jesus in the wilderness, such as Moretto da Brescia’s Christ in the Wilderness. Practice visio divina, holy seeing, to determine what the picture is saying to you through its colors and shapes. As a family, talk about what you notice.
