Comfortable Presence
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“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” John 14:16
Recently, a widow stated her desire was to have a comfortable presence with her son. She wanted to establish a relationship with her son that was easy in conversation, and she did not want her son to feel responsible for her. Her hope was that he would not avoid being with her because of the loss of his dad and not want to deal with the grief and death.
This phrase “Comfortable presence” resonated with me, and I have been pondering its meaning and application for life. We each have shoes that are more comfortable than other pairs. We have a chair that feels comfortable. We go to restaurants that feel more welcoming and comfortable. We have food that we label as “comfort foods” and eat it when we need something to make us feel better.
Comfortable is to provide ease and relaxation. It is being free from stress, fear or worry. It is being restful and content. It is a familiar feeling. One’s presence is the state of being somewhere. When your presence is requested, it means you are invited to show up and be in the moment. It is a connection.
With whom do you have a comfortable presence? My mom was always my comfortable presence. I never felt any judgment or negativity from her. She was comfortable being who she was and therefore her presence brought a calmness and an assurance that I was loved. I could talk with my mom and share conversations that went deep into our faith and love for Jesus. I miss my mom’s comfortable presence.
There are people we meet that we form an immediate connection with and feel at ease sharing life with them. It is usually a common interest or experience that forms this bond. Recently, I connected with a new friend over the loss of our dear companion dogs. We shared our grief and talked about how our dogs were our constant companions and were with us through some struggles of life. We understood each other. There was a comfortable presence in our sharing that has led to sharing in other areas of life.
In this different life, it is learning to be comfortable with yourself. Before you can share life again with someone, it is being at ease with who you are now. I am learning to be comfortable letting go of the expectations I assume others have of me and my own expectations to measure up to the world. There is a freedom in releasing these and being comfortable in who God created me to be and to do today. I am comfortable in letting go, changing directions, and closing a door to a chapter of life. It is not trying to do the same thing because it was familiar.
Are you comfortable being alone with yourself? That is, without media to distract you. It is enjoying your own presence and liking who you are becoming. When you are accepting of yourself, you have less worry and stress because you give yourself permission to be who God created you to be, and you are not focused on the expectations of others. You take yourself with you everywhere you go, so learn to like yourself and you will enjoy life and live fully in the present. It then becomes more comfortable to let go and change and live in God’s comfortable presence.
Yes, God’s comfortable presence is my desire. This brings rest and contentment. The world and its pressures and stress fade as I become more aware of God’s constant presence. It is like being hugged and protected and loved all the time which is what God actually does. We just are not constantly aware, nor do we step into His presence all the time even though God is always present.
Rest in the comfort of God’s Presence. Share everything with God. Be in constant awareness that God is with you. His presence is within and all around. Smile in your awareness of God’s Presence. You are never alone. Abide in God’s Presence. You do not need to carry the load alone nor figure out the future. Trust God today. Rest in the comfort that God loves you, accepts you, forgives you, does not hold anything against you, and wants to hear everything that is in your heart – Everything! To rest in this comfort is to be at ease that God has you and you just need to be in the moment with God.
Rest in God’s Comfortable Presence!
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