Every night I sing a lullaby to my toddler, Maya. It’s the same one that I have sung over her every night since before she was born. I would love to say that these moments at bedtime are a sweet time of connection, basking in the love of being in one another’s presence. Far from it. These moments are filled with her last ditch efforts to get what she wants, interruptions intended to earn a few more minutes of time awake, and wiggling around to expel the final ounce of pent up toddler energy. I sing through frustrated sighs while trying to get her feet off of my face and take off her fairy wings. As I wrangle her under the covers, she charges the bed sheets like a bull at a red cape. 

It’s hard not to reminisce about the days when she was my sweet little baby and she snuggled close to my chest as I sang these words. Those moments of beautiful connection were the daily reality for a long time, and I miss them. We relate in new ways now, but simply enjoying each other’s presence is rare. 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

As much as I desire to have moments of contented communion with my daughter, not often enough do I translate that same desire to my relationship with God. When I spend time in prayer, it is rarely centered around simply dwelling in His presence and enjoying His company. It is more often a frantic request for aid, a heartfelt prayer for intervention, or a rehashing of the day with a cobbled together sense of gratitude for the ups and downs. When we approach God this way, I wonder if He experiences the same frustration that I do with my toddler. 

God wants to rescue us in our time of need and hear about the concerns of our day, but most importantly, He desires for us to simply enjoy His presence. He wants us to present our worries, but then settle into a peace knowing that He is God and He loves us. He will take care of us. He will not forsake us. If we can stop trying to negotiate for what we want and worrying about what we need, we realize that He is the answer. His presence is more than enough. We can lay our head on His chest, and rest in Him.

Father, thank you for hearing my prayers and being an active participant in my life. Help me to bring my worries and frustrations to you and surrender them. Allow me to rest in peace, knowing that you are taking care of me. Give me a desire to simply dwell in your presence. 

How can I be intentional about spending time simply being in God’s presence?

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