Nehemiah : WK 3 - WED
Showing Up
Nehemiah 2:11
So I arrived in Jerusalem.
I recognize the simplicity of what I’m about to say, but it merits serious consideration. The first step in any great accomplishment is SHOWING UP.
Part of my resume includes ten years as a high school teacher and eight as a college professor. During those years, I frequently engaged in conversations with young people eager to ask me what I believed would lead them to become successful students. We would discuss study habits, effective note-taking strategies, surrounding themselves with the right people, and other related topics. However, over time, something else emerged as the simplest yet most profound ingredient of success: showing up.
I have come to believe that students who get out of bed and make it to class on time, stay awake during lectures, and trace their fingers across the page when the professor references a textbook or syllabus will automatically find themselves in the top quartile of their peers in either undergraduate or high school (no matter their I.Q.). Read what you are asked to read. Be where you are asked to be. Give it the “college try” and show up.
Similarly, I’ve come to believe that the most impactful parenting principle is practicing the art of presence. While counseling parents through troubling circumstances, I always begin by encouraging them to be unshakably present. Look your children in the eye. Listen to their voices. Find ways to engage in their activities and conversations. Show up.
Honestly, this is the guiding principle of my pastoral ministry. While I may not know the answer to a parishioner’s theological question, I’ve decided it’s more important to walk together than to be the spiritual answer man. Because of this, I’ve grown comfortable worshipping alongside people with whom I surely disagree, counting them as family. In a faith community, the power of presence and belonging sustains us through confusion, heartbreak, and misfortune.
In one of the most vivid depictions of this principle, Jesus describes Himself as standing at the door of our hearts and knocking. He shows up. And for anyone who opens the door, He will come in... the art of presence. (Revelation 3:20)
Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem will be a complex and challenging task. None of it will happen without step one. It all begins with showing up.
Nehemiah 2:11
So I arrived in Jerusalem.
I recognize the simplicity of what I’m about to say, but it merits serious consideration. The first step in any great accomplishment is SHOWING UP.
Part of my resume includes ten years as a high school teacher and eight as a college professor. During those years, I frequently engaged in conversations with young people eager to ask me what I believed would lead them to become successful students. We would discuss study habits, effective note-taking strategies, surrounding themselves with the right people, and other related topics. However, over time, something else emerged as the simplest yet most profound ingredient of success: showing up.
I have come to believe that students who get out of bed and make it to class on time, stay awake during lectures, and trace their fingers across the page when the professor references a textbook or syllabus will automatically find themselves in the top quartile of their peers in either undergraduate or high school (no matter their I.Q.). Read what you are asked to read. Be where you are asked to be. Give it the “college try” and show up.
Similarly, I’ve come to believe that the most impactful parenting principle is practicing the art of presence. While counseling parents through troubling circumstances, I always begin by encouraging them to be unshakably present. Look your children in the eye. Listen to their voices. Find ways to engage in their activities and conversations. Show up.
Honestly, this is the guiding principle of my pastoral ministry. While I may not know the answer to a parishioner’s theological question, I’ve decided it’s more important to walk together than to be the spiritual answer man. Because of this, I’ve grown comfortable worshipping alongside people with whom I surely disagree, counting them as family. In a faith community, the power of presence and belonging sustains us through confusion, heartbreak, and misfortune.
In one of the most vivid depictions of this principle, Jesus describes Himself as standing at the door of our hearts and knocking. He shows up. And for anyone who opens the door, He will come in... the art of presence. (Revelation 3:20)
Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem will be a complex and challenging task. None of it will happen without step one. It all begins with showing up.
- What hobby have you always wanted to pursue but have yet to act upon?
- Who in your local area have you always wanted to meet? Who could help you reach that person?
- Have you heard Jesus knocking on your heart’s door today? Have you welcomed Him in? What conversation should you have with Him regarding this?
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