Practising presence...

I have written a guest post at Jason Clark's site on practising presence. 

For me this is something that I am grappling with in my life - how can I stop dreaming/fantasising away my life, wishing it was better and start engaging with my reality and with God in my reality?  I often feel like a stranger or a ghost in my own life - disconnected because I want my time to do what I want but in doing so not being present or a presence in my reality.

Increasingly in the hardness of my life i am realising that escape is not an option that will help me experience a better life but instead i need to practice commitment to others  and suffering/frustrating of my own self desires as a result.

It's not sexy, it's not even that fun but it's got to be better than clock watching my way through life, chasing the myth of a way to have it all and have it now...

Comments

[Greg Laughery]

Thanks. I think you nailed it with the need to practice commitment to others. This should help create an excess of presence - God's and our own.

[Greg Laughery]

Thanks. I think you nailed it with the need to practice commitment to others. This should help create an excess of presence - God's and our own.

[Kamsin]

Paul, I can totally relate to this post (and the one over at Jason Clark's blog, esp. the second point).
I wrote a poem that was kind of on this topic about a year ago now, I posted it here: http://thefarsideofthesea.blogspot.com/2006/06/slow-path.html
The title was a comment from a Dr Who episode. The point being perhaps that the Dr has time fully at his disposal, but that means he is often lonely and alone and cannot ever truly engage with life as we live it.
But yeah, I guess it is something God is always challenging me on. To learn to be where he has placed me, connected and listening to those around me, rather than in some day dream or constantly wishing for the next thing on the horizon to occur.

[Paul]

Thanks Greg, i find it is a practice, i tend to drift inwardly otherwise :)

[Rupert Ward]

Paul - good stuff. I have been thinking recently that one of the key things that Jesus says is that he has come to give us life, and life in all its fullness. I think often we have thought that is something that happens when we die, but i think it is for us now.

Rather than always waiting for something else to happen, to have the promotion, the pay rise, the new house, get married, to have kids, for the kids to leave home, the next holiday, the next buzz from being in an "awesome worship time" ... lets start living now!!!!

I am no expert but i am finding i am daydreaming less, and living more as i try to be present now.

[Paul]

Thanks Kamsin, even time lords get lonely - altho i often find myself living in the past or future rather than present

[Paul]

thanks rupert, wise advice! let's live now :)

so any tips on living now?

[Debbie]

Great realisation - tough to live out though - especially at the mo. Hopefully by getting closer throughout tough times we'll experience much more fullness in the future - hang in there babe :)

[Paul]

thanks beautiful one - yeah no doubt what we're going through now will help grow character and help us help each other - it certainly is better facing life together even though its hard :)