Presents and Presence

About a month ago, Elijah turned three. 

When he woke up on his birthday, he found the whole living room covered in signs that Laura and I had made.  They declared things like: “E Is 3!” and, “E: The Three Year Old, The Legend.”

He couldn’t read them but he knew they were for him. 

Brehm, however, turned into a green-eyed, jealousy monster. 

He was annoyingly persistent at reminding Elijah that, tomorrow, it wouldn’t be his birthday anymore. 

Ah…brotherly love. 

This event also kicked off “birthday conversation” season. 

For those of you not familiar, this is more anticipated than football, baseball, and hunting seasons combined.  

It’s the season of seasons.  

And Brehm is quick to make sure we know it.  About once a day he asks when his birthday is, and then tries his best to calculate the months, days, minutes and pico-seconds until his big day. 

But here’s the problem. 

His birthday is two days after Christmas.  

Thus, no matter how hard we try to separate the two events, his birthday is, inevitably, eclipsed in the public consciousness. 

What's weird is that he doesn’t get envious about Jesus’ birthday the way he does with Elijah's. 

That may have to do with the fact that HE gets presents at Christmas. 

Or, as I choose to believe, it’s because he’s a budding theologian. 

Here's a conversation we had the other day.

“Dad, when is my birthday again?”

“In a few months, Buddy.  First, it will be Jesus’ birthday, and then yours is a few days later.”

“I think we should sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jesus….like this (he sings his adorably off-key version of the birthday song.)”

“I think that’s a great idea, Buddy!  Maybe we can make Him a cake too.”

(Brehm looks at me very seriously)

“But Dad, he won’t be able to eat it!”

“Well…um....we can eat it for him.”

(Brehm, almost in tears)

“But then there won’t be any left for Him!” (He recovers), “Can we give him presents?”

“You know what he really likes, Buddy?  When we love Him and walk with Him.”

“I think he likes toys.”

“I think He likes toys too.”

Strangely, this conversation got me thinking about some of the silly (and un-Biblical) things that I say as a Christian. 

Nothing will streamline your theology like trying to explain it to a four-year old. 

The particular phrase that came to mind is, “Lord, we ask you to be present with us as we (fill in the blank)”

The reason that's silly, is that God is omnipresent. 

He’s everywhere...all the time.  So how can He be “more” present? 

What I really mean, and what I ought to say, is, “God help ME be present to you.” 

At Gordon College, it’s a graduation requirement to go on  a two-week, wilderness trek called La Vida.

One of the first things they tell you is to “be here now”. 

Be present with what God is doing right now. 

That was the first time I realized that I've lived as a shell most of my life. 

My body is here...but I’m not.  My mind is thinking about the future, replaying the past, wrestling with some issue, or making other plans. 

Those were two very hard weeks for me. 

Even though most people view me as someone who loves experiencing all the details of the moment, the truth is that I’m almost never here. 

Increasingly, God has been healing me of this.  He’s been helping me be present with my wife, with my kids, with Him. 

That is what I was trying to convey to Brehm when I said that the best present for Jesus is for us to love and walk with Him. 

That being present TO Him is a present FOR Him. 

As I wrote last week, I’ve been reading the Christmas story during my Bible study time.  This, obviously, has had me thinking about the mystery and miracle of the incarnation.  God with flesh. 

One of the things that’s so amazing about it, is that God, as the great initiator, is actually present with me first so I can be present with Him. 

So what can we give  “God-with-us” (Emanuel) this Christmas?

To start, we can give Him, “Us-with-God.” 

And, if we’re like Brehm….maybe a toy too.