Maybe there is only one love language: presence

​Adults have many love languages. There are books that teach you how to adopt them and adapt them and implement them. It's all very scientific, and I'm not entirely convinced we ever perfect any of them.

Or even get very good at them.

But kids, kids from all over the world, they only have one love language.

It's called show up.

Presence.

We visited a facility yesterday for kids suffering from malnutrition. Many have health challenges associated with that. And most don't have anyone in their lives who can or will take care of them.

One of the stipulations of the kids being in the facility is a family member must come visit them at least once per week.

There are 21 kids there; 7 adults. While we were there the air condition wasn't working on a 90 degree day. It was uncomfortable.

And yet, within minutes, the kids were all smiles and all hugs hanging out with us. I don't think it's because the kids were desperate for attention. I think it's because a child's heart long's for what all of our hearts were created to long for: presence.

God speaks often of the pure joy we will feel in his presence. A presence he invites us to experience every second of our lives.

I think kids feel the simplicity of that presence kind of joy more than adults. Adults are writing books about the best ways to experience presence; kids simply participate in it.

Kids whose lives have been valued least often seem to have a greater attunement to the value of simply being in the company of another human being.

It makes me wonder if we aren't all losing a little value while writing books about what company is supposed to look and feel like instead of simply looking for the treasure in the company.

When we were leaving yesterday a young Honduran pulled up on a motorcycle outside the gates of the building. One of the young boys who'd been hanging out with me went to the gate, gripped it with his hands and stared through the slats of the gate out to the motorcycle.

And he smiled. The little boy just smiled and pointed.

I don't think he knew the young man; I think he just sensed showing up.

Presence.

I encourage us all to quit overthinking presence and just find value in it no matter what it looks like. I encourage us to quit analyzing presence and live in it. I encourage us all to have a longing for one another that leaves us standing at a gate smiling at someone's arrival.

I think we all have some sort of longing to receive that kind of smile. Maybe it starts with knowing we all have one common love language.

Presence.