Appreciating the Gift

by Sarah Putman, Romania

As I reflect upon times I have heard people recite their membership vows or renew them in light of a response to baptism or joining of new members, the audio that plays in my mind is that “presence” is said softer, almost as an oversight. As the second in the list it does not draw the same emphasis as “prayers” but energy also seems to pick back up on “gifts,” “service,” and even “witness,” which has caused me a moment of pause. Immediately upon thinking about “presence” various things come to mind professionally, personally, and experientially as a person living in Cluj, Romania. While these variations all overlap in some ways, it is interesting to think of them together or holistically.

Professionally, as a mental health therapist, presence conjures the idea of connectivity. It is not merely about physically being in the same space as another person, but bringing your entire being, your entire focus, your entire consciousness to that interaction. You can be present with just yourself or you can be present in a given moment or with given people. It is an application of not letting thoughts wander to the future or to the past but rather to stay in the moment experiencing or even participating in what is happening right now.

Personally, as an introvert, I have often appreciated the gift of the mere presence, the literal, physical presence, of others - even in silence. Some of my most treasured relationships are the ones that follow a balance of being and sharing. The relationships I have where we can just be in the same space, doing our own thing or staying with our own thoughts for some of the time and then sharing with one another or doing things together other times. There is something about physically being present that carries with it the spiritual connectivity even when nothing is being said or intentionally done. There is a communal connectivity in sharing the same physical space with others.

Experientially, as someone living not in their motherland, presence is all of these things and more. There is the presence we offer and the presence we receive. All too frequently I find myself in circumstances where my language is not sufficient for deep or lengthy conversations. While I can be here in the moment with someone, there is often not the ability to share more than the comfort of knowing another person is there. As the days and weeks pass, there is the comfort of the commitment, that I keep showing up, there is connectivity from spirit to spirit even when no words are shared. I have seen the gift of mere presence in children with disabilities excited to see me arrive at their center even though our conversations usually peak at “how was your day?” I have seen it in children running up to me and continuing to try and have conversation, or even just smiling at me when I return to ministry after a time away.

I have experienced receiving the gift of presence from afar when my mom sat with me on a video chat, literally reading a children’s book to me during a moment of high anxiety and close-up when Romanian friends gathered together to be in the presence of one another after the loss of one of our dearest friends and colleagues. I have experienced the gift and power of presence in the ease of tackling a new task in a foreign country with someone by my side - even if that person is just as clueless as me when it comes to accomplishing this task.

I spent much of my reflection during Advent 2022 reflecting on the presence of the Lord, specifically that the joy of the presence of the Lord is my strength in both times of celebration and times of trial. The presence of the Lord is enough, and as we are created in God’s image and made for community, our presence - either in physicality, connection in the moment, or intentionality towards support, can be the balm for someone’s soul, the opportunity the Lord uses to have a conversation that brings light to a dark place in someone’s life, can be used to catapult ministry to new levels because of the gifts, service, witness, and prayers we bring along with our presence. Our presence wherever we are can be a source of joy, especially as the Spirit in you connects to the Spirit in another. The power of presence transcends miles, perhaps it is time we intentionally speak that part of our vows a little louder for those in the back!

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