"Hey, you been comin' around for a while now, yeah?" and "Oh hey, I remember you guys! What's up?" and "You're in the park every Monday and Friday, right? Every week..." and "You guys are the cool pancake people!"

Lately, I've been noticing that the consistency of being present is an incredible gift.

In a city whose culture is permeated with transience, and in a park full of travelers and train-hoppers, consistently showing up is a refreshing change of rhythm.

I love that we're able to have deeper relationships with our Amigos bible study friends, but sometimes I struggle with not feeling as though I'm connecting in a meaningful way with people in the park.

Is it really worth it, to have conversations that feel like small talk? But, God has been showing me that being persistently present speaks a powerful word of love to friends in this transient place.

It says,

"I am not here to get something from you or to try to fix you.

I am not just passing through.

I am just here with you, just sitting and listening and loving and learning alongside you.

I am not concerned with achieving a result or an efficient outcome.

I just care about you deeply and love you for you.

You are worth spending time with and you are valuable in God's sight."

I pray that God can use my small act of coming to sit with our friends to powerfully communicate His relentless and gently-pursuing love for them!

- Georgia Lee