“I am still with you…”
”Okay, I am still with you…”
I heard this repeated by the customer representative helping me with an erroneous Sirius subscription added to my billing account on 3/16/23. He repeated it to the point of pausing my heart. I became still and marveled, mesmerized by the assurance of his calm voice as I waited for those words to be spoken again.
Quite frequently, I find myself ruffled and irritated by the “script” of customer service representatives sometimes difficult to understand on the other end of the phone, but these five words spoken every 15-20 seconds brought such an inner peace, and even amusement and playfulness at how God was directing my attention to the comfort that can be brought with the assurance of presence.
And not only the phrase, but the fact the error started on 3/16/23—on the very anniversary of her accident. As we ended our conversation, I was smiIing as I asked his name.
“Kennedy.”
“Well, Kennedy, I thank you for ‘your presence’ to me today. Your calm voice repeating, ‘I am still with you,‘ helped me stay connected to you and not get impatient or upset. You, my friend, have a very special gift and what a privilege to encounter you today.”
Assurance of presence is a powerful means of comfort and help. This can be given in times of trouble, communicated in many different ways as outlined in the resource pages. (QR Code)
This painting, Jessie’s Heart, was created by the heart of my dear artist friend, Kristi Self. This rehabilitation physiatrist has journeyed many lives of devastation, providing her presence and expertise to guide and help them through their darkest forests.
As I gaze at the melded, dripping colors surrounding the space of heart-shaped hope, a deeper image appears to me—the image of a Presence praying. Nestled firmly within the brokenness of a life, surrounded by the echoes of the Garden of Gethsemane. This Ancient Presence always brings an undeniable power robed in the darkness just waiting for the precise moment of revelation. The moment when the stream of light appears, ushering in an assurance that you are not alone. From this comes a breath of gratitude, mystically infusing a hidden strength to take the next right step. This is the moment where one can glimpse God and remember, “With God, All Things Are Possible.”