Mindfulness with Jesus: Jesus Plushie
- Amanda Torre
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
The last time I wrote my first blog was slightly over a year ago. I did not intend for so much time to go by before writing this second blog. But...here we are. Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls. Since my last blog post, I've joyfully welcomed another child into our home. He is now 4 months old. I must confess that the past year has been quite chaotic as we adjusted to having 5 sons in our home. Most days, it was difficult for me to sense Jesus's presence in the room or moment due to the numerous thoughts and tasks occupying my mind. I'm sure many of you reading this can relate to that. As time when on, my practice of mindfulness with Jesus slowly got overshadowed by the busyness of life.
Back in December I bought a Jesus plushie as a Christmas gift for my younger sons. Soon after being opened, Jesus plushie joined the gigantic pile of other plushies my sons have in their room and was lost for a little while, until one day as we were worshipping in the living room one of my sons brought Jesus plushie out and placed him on the TV stand. It certainly warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face to think about Jesus sitting there watching us all worhip. Jesus plushie stayed on that TV stand thereafter because I loved the thought of him being present in the room, but he was once again forgotten. He sat there and watched each day. Days turned into months as he watched while I made meal after meal and cleaned mess after mess. He watched as we ate meal after meal. He watched as we prepared for parties and celebrations. He watched as my kids did their school work. He watched as my son threw his tantrums. He watched as my son lied about not eating the cookie he wanted. He watched as my son threw a frisbee and broke the kitchen window. He watched as my son grew angry at everyone because his younger brother broke his toy. He watched as my husband walked in late from a long day of work exausted and overwhelmed. He watched as my mom washed dishes early in the morning so I wouldn't have to. He watched as my newborn grew and developed roll upon roll of chubiness that we all love. He watched as we read our devotionals and prayed at night. He watched it all, but did we see Him?
Sadly, no. We all get carried away with the busyness or distractions of life. For me running after 5 sons is what most often keeps me from noticing Jesus in the room/moment. For you it may be your phone, your work, your video games, your friends, your shopping, etc. So often the very thing that distracts us from noticing Jesus is the very thing he wants to use to draw us to Him. He wants to encourage, comfort, teach, admonish, guide, and protect in these moments if we can pause and notice Him there.
Had I noticed Jesus plushie sitting there while I cleaned and made meals I would have been encouraged that my small acts are seving God and creating a comfortable space for my family to live in. Had I noticed Jesus plushie sitting there I may have stayed calmed while my son had his tantrum and been more effective in communicating with him. Had I noticed Jesus plushie sitting there I may have handled my son lying to me about his cookie differently. Had I noticed Jesus plushie sitting there I may have felt more at peace when the window was broken. Had I noticed Jesus plushie sitting there each moment would have been slightly different.
A few days before writing this blog, I started becoming more conscious of the Jesus plushie sitting there and resumed my mindfulness of Jesus being in the room. I have taken time to pause and look at him and have also repositioned him to be more involved during specific activities. Doing this has certainly shifted my mood, shifted my thoughts, and shifted my purpose and motivation for each moment. I share this to encourage you: if you've found it difficult to recognize Jesus's presence, you can start developing this practice again or begin for the first time if you haven't already. I know it may sounds silly but having the Jesus plushie present can really make this practice of mindfulness easier for some, especially children. I suggest placing Jesus plushie at the table when you are eating dinner. Bring him along for walks. Take him to the park. Have him sit and watch TV with you. Bring him into all that you do. After all, that is what Jesus wants from us right? To abide in Him. Enjoy each moment with Him and notice how his presence shifts your thoughts, feelings, actions, and motivations.
There are many different kinds of plushies on Amazon. The one I ordered can be found here. My hope and prayer for you as you grow in this adventure of mindfulness of Jesus in the room/moment is that you would come to feel his presence in a real and tangible way. As you do so, may your heart be warmed by the fact that the God of the universe is watching over you and closer than you may have noticed.
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