Why not consider one of the most powerful ways of loving someone?
This week I participated in the funeral of longtime Baylor baseball coach Mickey Sullivan. He was a member of our congregation. The funeral was held at Baylor Ballpark. Former players and former coaches spoke (along with the present baseball coach, Steve Smith) as well as one of my co-workers.
I was especially impressed with the large number of people who just showed up.
Don’t ever underestimate the importance of just showing up!
Friends show up for one another.
We might show up at funerals.
We might show up at weddings.
We might show up at special birthday parties.
We might show up at the hospital.
We might show up when our friend is being recognized or receiving a special award.
There is something to be said for just showing up. Being present. Being fully engaged.
My mother-in-law modeled this throughout our children’s high school years. She lives in Alabama. We live in Texas. Yet, once a year she would manage to come to our home during the school year. She went to the games and other special events with us. When she was here, she was present and fully engaged in the world of my girls.
Friends are no different. It is important to show up for occasions that are meaningful or important in some way to our friends. Can you show up for everything? Of course not. Showing up for the ball game of a friend’s child eliminates the possibility of showing up for something else that evening. The other night we went to a friend’s wedding in Abilene, Texas. Being there eliminated the possibility of showing up for anything else that concerned a friend. You have to pick and choose. And, it may be more important to show up for some occasions than for others.
Once our youngest daughter was in the hospital for several days. She was severely dehydrated. We were very concerned because of the severity of the dehydration. Within a few hours, a friend of ours showed up at the hospital. He softly knocked on Jamie’s hospital room door and I opened it. He motioned for me to come out into the hall. As I stepped into the hall, Jay put his arm around my shoulder and softly prayed a brief prayer for Jamie’s health. Each day he called, leaving messages on my cell phone. The night before she was released, he and his wife came by bringing presents for her. What did he do?
He showed up.
I really think this matters.
What do you think? Can you recall a time that was particularly important to you because a friend or family member showed up?