The Power of Presence

It's been a week. There's no other way to put it. Between a massive pile of homework being dumped on my head, to being called into the hospital on Monday night, to trying to decide between work and play it's been a week full of surprises both pleasant and not so pleasant.

However, in the midst of all of this, I finally learned what ministry of presence means. Ministry of presence is the fancy term we use in pastoral care that means that in a crisis situation your simple presence is enough to minister to the group of people involved with the crisis. You don't have to do anything or say anything really, you being there is simply enough. Your presence ministers to these people.

Now, for those of you who know me well, you know I am a person of action. I'm a do-er. I'm generally in the middle of the action or I'm instigating action. This whole ministry of presence thing is new to me in a way. Sure, I did a little of that at my internship but I was always the back-up person. There were three other pastors above me so I generally didn't work with these types of situations.

But this week I was faced with stories and events that really showed me how meaningful it can be to simple just be there. As I read the story of Job and hear about his three friends who come and sit with Job through his suffering, after he has lost nearly everything and simply be with him. Granted, then they started talking and it all went downhill from there but that initial presence, acknowledging his suffering was a powerful witness and it gave him the space to start talking about what he was going through.

As I continue my work as a chaplain, I find this more and more. I am put in situations where I have no words, where the situation is over my head and I have nothing to say and yet, me being there is enough. It's quite something for this action oriented person to wrap her head around. And yet, it's something I think we've all experienced. When we've had a bad day and a friend doesn't even know what happened but somehow knows to give you a great big hug and doesn't even have to say a word. How simply having a shoulder to cry on can make all the different during a difficult time.

Just be. Just be there. And the grace of God will fill in the rest.