Be Here Now

Back in my corporate America days, the company I worked for had a slogan called “Be Here Now.”  Pretty simple statement, right?  And of course, that’s what we want… to be completely engaged in the moment.  But I often find myself in a “Be Here Kinda” state.  You know, the state where you are kinda engaged.  It goes something like this… you’re chatting with your friend on the phone and are kinda listening because you’re checking your Facebook page at the same time.  Or you’re playing with your kids, but aren’t completely engaged because you’re kinda thinking about all the other things you need to check off your To Do list.  Or you’re sitting in church and kinda planning where you’re going to lunch when it’s over… while your pastor is preaching.  I bet you could come up with a million other scenarios of “Be Here Kinda.” 

What’s so important about “Be Here Now?”  You miss out… on that piece of information that could have brought you a belly laugh if you had caught all the details.  Or seeing the delight in a child’s eyes because she knows that she has your complete attention.  Or…

Francessa Battestelli has a song that’s on this topic called Don’t Miss It.  Take a moment and listen to the lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUfma7cDIAs&list=ALGLx1orRGw4UAHpJDBSDUXGVCceEPih0h&index=9

Convicting, huh?  I’ve been convicted about this lately.  And I’m learning the value of truly engaging.  Take a recent school night, for example.  It was bedtime for my boys but they wanted to play chase as a family.  And when Daddy plays chase, it’s super fun!  So the deal was one song.  The four of us ran around our house, singing, dancing and laughing our heads off.  And when it was over… and past bedtime… and the boys begged for one more song… and Daddy said yes… I played chase too, as if it was 7 pm and we had all the time in the world.   It felt great to Be Here Now… fully engaged with my family doing something silly and fun right before bed. And it’s a memory that I will treasure in my heart.

If I had to think of someone who’s an expert in “Be Here Now,” it’s Jesus.  Just think about it… He was constantly interrupted with people who needed His help.  And He fully engaged with them.  The story of Jesus healing a bleeding woman highlights how Jesus chose to “Be Here Now” rather than “Be Here Kinda.”  Check out Luke 8:40:47:

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,^[c] but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

The story begins with Jesus being approached by Jairus, a synagogue leader desperately pleading for Jesus to come and save his dying daughter.  And Jesus agreed.  As Jesus embarked on the journey to Jarius’ house, “the crowds almost crushed Him” (v. 42).  I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of people crowding around Jesus for it to be described as crushing.  And in the midst of the crushing crowd, Jesus notices a specific touch.  One touch… when the crowd is crushing Him… caught His attention.  So much so, that He asks “Who touched me?” (v. 45) and Peter reminds Jesus that “the people are crowding and pressing against you” (v. 45).  But Jesus was in tune with what was going on and He didn’t let Peter’s explanation deter His mission to find out who touched Him.  The bleeding woman confessed and Jesus stopped to engage with this woman, affirming that her faith had healed her.  And then Jesus continued on His journey to Jarius’ house. 

Isn’t that incredible?  Jesus was on an important journey to heal a 12 year old girl, but He wasn’t so focused that He missed the opportunity to heal someone else along the way.  He stopped His journey to “Be Here Now” with the bleeding woman.  And she was forever changed by her interaction with Jesus. 

What about you?  Would people describe you as “Be Here Now” or “Be Here Kinda?”  If you fall into the “Be Here Kinda” category, what changes can you make to so you “don’t miss it?” It’s worth the effort to “Be Here Now.”  Are you willing to give it a try?