Parakalein

I watched out my window here in the Berkshires as the three robins born just several days ago continue to grow and develop their strength.

I noticed that the mother and father Robin are more away from the next than present.  They are at a distant very present.  In fact if we walk out on to our porch which we are sharing with them these days, they come at us.  Nature teaches us.

I began to think that as humans we attend to much to the every need of out children, stay close to protect them, and they become selfish but with out self strength.  The robin stays at a distance.  Sometimes when close seems to be ignoring the needs of the chirping little ones.  But they are not ignoring but training the little ones to be strong in themselves

I began to realize that this is the message of nature about God.  The creator rolled into creation this truth that began to role out to me.

The idea of "with" which we as humans associate with on my side and at my side, is not the "with" God has in mind.  Are you with me?  Means are you in agreement with me, on my side against someone or something.  So when we feel God is not present, that we are being ignored, that God does not care, it is because we have a human understanding of "with".  Like the Robin, God is with us at a distance, sometimes in with seems ignoring posture, sometimes in what feels like an uncaring position, sometimes in an up close and different personal position.  All positions are personal and caring just some do not feel that way.  When attending to our physical need of presence we think of God as in a feeding and nurturing position.  When God feels absent God is not absent.  God is attending to our social psychological and spiritual development in feeding and nurturing us with a sense of presence beyond what feels like presence.
The goal is to have us trust that God is with us always.  God is. God is Emmanuel.  God with us.  the I will be with you God of promise is "with" you always.  Promise.

In good times and in bad times, in times when you feel God's presence and in times when you don't,  God like the Momma and Papa Robin are there always.

"With: means with, without condition, without restriction, without an agenda, and without limits.  Regardless of anything God is with you.