Here I am, Lord

Recently, I went to dinner to catch up with a good friend. After we had finished our meal and our conversation was winding down, my mind started to wander. My thoughts seemingly appeared out of nowhere and quickly captured my attention. As my thoughts were running around inside my head, my friend suddenly brought me back to reality by asking, “Where’d you go?” I replied, “I’m right here!” We laughed, because we both knew that while my body was present, my mind had gone someplace very far.

The story of Abraham and Isaac in the first reading of today has many facets; however, the themes of attentiveness and presence seemed particularly strong as I was preparing to write this post. Abraham responds to the Lord by saying “Here I am!” He does this twice. Abraham gives the same response to God (“Here I am!) as I gave to my friend that night at dinner (“I’m right here!”). However, our states of mind could not have been more different. With his response, Abraham indicates that he is fully present in mind, body, and spirit with the Lord. Because of his attentiveness, Abraham can hear and respond to the call of the Lord. His dutiful actions earn him great favor with the Lord.

With so many moving parts in our daily lives, the simple act of being attentive and present becomes a challenge. During this Lenten season, how can we be present in mind, body, and spirit with the Lord and with others? The tenants of lent can serve as a guide. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we can intentionally be present with God through dialogue, time, and service. With Abraham as a model, we can use these practices to say, “Here I am, Lord. I am ready to serve You and do Your will.”

My prayer for myself and for each of you during this season of Lent is to be steadfast in the
pursuit of presence so that we may all be ready to respond to God’s call.

Author: Sara Krusekopf, Mathematics Department, Campus Ministry Team