Being Present Where You Are Present

Anthony Wood shared a great thought with his email subscribers today: 

11/15/11 Rain, Lord. What a wonderful way to replenish a dry earth. The sound makes for such relaxing rest. It was tough to get out of the bed this morning hearing the pitter patter of soft rainfall. Soothing, melodic, comforting, a blessing to Your Creation.

And, then I saw him. Drenched, cold, shivering, wild eyed from a sleepless night in clothes heavy with water.

He came straight to me this morning, “bro. Anthony, you poured water all over me!” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I was glad that he was smiling. All I could muster was a puzzled look of “I’m not sure I know what your talking about.”

“I was on the road, I waved and hollered, but you passed on by.” I didn’t see him. I had my mind on getting to RCM for the work You assigned for me today. My eyes weren’t open to see the work I passed by on the road to RCM. Jesus.

Your work, Lord, is never a place to go to, a location. Your work is not where I go but as I go. Today I missed it.

I wasn’t as attentive to where You were working, ministering, serving. I passed him by. I was somewhere else. I wasn’t present where I was present. So, in that moment Your presence could not be enjoyed by a cold and soaked man on the road.

Lord, open my eyes to fellow travelers on the road, to see You Jesus, in all who need a caring, loving hand of help. Never let me be blinded to those whom society refuses to acknowledge and disregard as less than human, or as a problem. Never let me turn away from those whom You present before me, who in truth, are You, one of the least of these.

Open my eyes that I might always see You on the road, wet and cold, needing a ride to RCM.

Lord, when did we see you … Matthew 25:31-46, NIV

Blessings,
Anthony Wood, Assistant Director
River City Ministry
North Little Rock, AR

To subscribe to Anthony’s email list, send him a note at awoodxulon(at)yahoo.com requesting to do so.

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