Delightful Presence

Editor’s note: Today’s story is by writer and blogger Stephanie Spencer, who shares what she’s learned from her toddler about how the Lord delights in her presence.

I sit in front of the computer, as usual. Too often I let the moments of the day tick away underneath the click-clacking of my fingers.

“Nigh, nigh.”

The words wake me from my digital haze. I turn around to see my toddler, usually full of activity and spunk, lay down on the floor. He puts his thumb in his mouth and gazes up at me with puppy dog eyes.

“Mama.” He points to the floor, and then looks back up at me. His desire is clear: he wants me to stop what I am doing and lay down next to him.

How can I say no to such an invitation?

I leave the computer. Something I should do more often. I lower myself to the floor and stretch out by his side. As I look into his eyes with a smile, his whole body beams in response. The ground gets a little wet as I blink away my tears.

There we lay, for several minutes, enchanted. Watching each other. Laughing at each other. Letting the moment speak for itself.

We are fully present and fully satisfied by joy.

I capture this moment in my memory, knowing it will be fleeting. Soon we will both get up and move on with this day. But here, now, we delight.

I delight in my son. Not in his accomplishments or his accolades, simply in his existence. He is my child. I love him. These moments of presence are the gift of love.

Then I remember an amazing truth: the Lord delights in me.

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17

God delights in me. He finds such joy in me that He sings.

I have a German work-ethic deeply imbedded in my psyche. I love to achieve. I delight in checking things off my list. I find satisfaction in getting a lot done.

This is not inherently bad. It is part of who I was made to be.

But it comes with a risk. If not careful, I will miss delightful moments of presence. Not just with my family or friends, but with God Himself.

Yes, God wants me to use my gifts to serve Him. He wants me to be a good steward. He wants me to be a light to the world.

But more than any of those things, He wants me. He wants my presence. He wants me to lay down on the floor, gaze into His eyes, and invite Him to lay next to me. God wants me to giggle in the excitement of His existence, as He sings in the delight of mine.

This is a beautiful truth and terrible struggle.

What does it really look like to let God delight in me? I don’t know. But likely, it means I should step away from the computer a little more often. And probably, it means I should pray without an agenda. And definitely, it means I have to trust. I have to know that I can put my to-do list aside, because I am loved for who I am, not what I accomplish.

How does this function practically day-to-day? I don’t know. But I want to try new things to figure it out.

I want the delightful moments of presence with God that are the gifts of love.

Question: How do you find time to slow down and delight in God’s presence?