What does it mean to be presence-led? I’ve heard of purpose-driven, but presence led?
If you are like me, you have lived your life sometimes frenzied, driven by schedules and appointments, and have-to’s. Is it possible in the scurry of every day activity to live from a place that is God-directed, God-timed and with purpose? I believe it is. I have a friend who once made a statement....”small adjustments can bring radical change”. I heard it, embraced it, and have endeavored to just keep making those small adjustments throughout life that add up to radical differences in who I have become.
I remember the old me well. I rode the roller-coaster of life, and let the dead-lines I made for myself along with over-crowded schedules dictate a life that I was constantly enforcing with my words, “It’s been really bussssyyyyy.”
I fell on my bed in a fetal position years ago, sobbing in my husband’s range of hearing, “I just can’t do all this anymore.” He calmly reminded me that I do all the booking of my schedule, and that I needed to change things if it was too much. Have you ever been your own worst enemy?
Sure, life takes the wheel a lot of times and takes us places we weren’t planning to go, or loads up more in the car than we anticipated, but let’s be honest, a lot of the time, we do that to ourselves. We do it to feel productive, we do it because we have to make a buck, we do it to please the people around us that we are there for them in every moment. We interrupt family dinners for phone calls, we lay down our own lists to pick up someone else’s, we even forfeit our own dreams to get the validation we need from others in fulfilling theirs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a giver. I love being available for people....a steadying force in prayer when life overwhelms, and a listening ear that they know they can trust, but sometimes we all need to just “step out of the traffic and take a long, loving look at God, above politics, above everything.” (Psalms 46:10 Message)
I’m starting this new year with purpose! I’m putting my life in drive, but I’m watching and praying. I’m going to live life just “doing what I see Him doing, and saying what I hear God saying.” (John 20:) That’s the spirit-led life!