Presence vs Presents

-Valerie Blackston

If you’re a parent, then this may sound familiar “You have all of these toys, why don’t you want to play with them?” Somehow we get thrown off when our busy toddlers want to climb up a table or run across the couch rather than play with their toys. Or for me lately, it’s when I may be trying to cook and both children would rather cram on top of the same stool to help me stir the food over playing together. I realize this is a season, and one day something else may capture their attention more than what I’m cooking for dinner so because of that I believe I need to soak up these moments: the moments where my presence is greater than any “present”. 


I knew I would learn much more from my kids than expected. Sometimes so simple yet profound as I look down at 2 sets of beautiful eyes, one tiny tot tugging at my leg while the other asks me for the 3rd time to come check out her really cool princess party she has set up. The real need here isn’t for more of something else to fill the void, or another suggestion of what to play with or color, it’s for me. The need is for affirmation. The need is for my presence. 


This same need parallels with our Heavenly Father. We may try to throw things at Him through out the day, a quick thought, request, prayer ... maybe we even present Him with a list of things we feel like we’ve done all in His honor, yet missing one of the most priceless forms of honor, our time. 


There’s moments we try to prove with our busyness that we are accomplishing something for Him. But I think what He is really asking for is our presence. When we spend time with our Savior, we change. Maybe growing up you heard the saying “show me your friends, I’ll show you your future” or “you are who you hang out with”.  If there’s any truth to these statements, I can’t think of a better person I’d want to be present with than God, someone who is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Exodus 34:6). I don’t know about you but during this pandemic and while being cooped in the house, I could use some extra compassion, patience, and kindness to extend to my family during this, sometimes trying, season of life. Sitting at the feet of the One who gives peace that exceeds anything we can understand, a peace that guards our hearts and minds vs sitting at the mercy of the news or my social media feed is going to benefit me much more. 


 “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 NLT


There’s a key part or that verse, “as you live in Christ Jesus.”  When we live in Him, learning our Savior more, we gain attributes that the world can’t give us. Supernatural peace (John 14:7) and wisdom (James 1:5) are a few attributes that we could all use while navigating through the current worldwide crisis we are facing. 


Life may be tugging at you in a thousand different directions right now. During a season of quarantining and being socially distanced from friends, family, extra curricular activities, church etc. expectations are all over the place and plans have changed. Your load may be heavier than normal.


Today consider basking in His presence, leaving behind the assumption that you must have a completed checklist or an entertainment schedule for the day to be acceptable. Instead of asking, “what can I get done”,  contemplate asking “what can wait?”. The gains we will receive from His presence will exceed any Earthly “present”.