being and doing

a dear friends daughter died suddenly this summer...
a saint of the church has decided that she is done with dialysis...
a 54 year old woman is under hospice care with colon cancer...
another saint of the church died this past week after a long and exhausting battle (she was only 64)...

These were just some of the thoughts and stories that ran through my mind as I led worship yesterday.  It was All Saints Sunday.  While my message was all about doing - living into the examples of the saints and doing more to build up the kingdom of God and caring for those in need with our talents (Luke's take on the Beatitudes was the text), I also was reminded of the importance of being.

This was really driven home as I walked to the back of the church during the final hymn (a rousing rendition of When the Saints) and was nudged by the Holy Spirit to stop and hug a member of the church who was in tears.  Her son had died a number of years ago, and I think that the memories of him and his battle with cancer were on her mind.  Honestly, I am not sure - because it wasn't a moment for words - there really wasn't anything I could say, and so I just hugged her for a moment and then continued on to the back of the church.

There is great tension in being and doing (at least for me).  I am a do-er.  I like to keep busy.  Ok, I admit it - I am easily distracted.  But sometimes we just have to be.   I just have to be...

Be present...
Be still...
Just be.

any advice on how to learn this being thing would be appreciated...I am definitely a work in progress.

peace, love in Christ
Deborah

(btw the root of my name is Hebrew and means bee...how funny and odd is that?!)