WHEN PRESENCE MATTERS MORE

A Deep Thoughts Devotional Story
© Opeyemi Akintunde
As Inspired by the LIVING WORD

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, and Sola was helping her son, Daniel, revise his reading exercise. Daniel was six and very curious about words.

“Pre–sent,” he slowly read, squinting at the page.

“Well done,” Sola smiled. “Presence.”

Daniel paused. “Mummy, what is presence?”

Sola thought for a moment. “Presence means being there. It means someone is with you, not far away.”

Daniel nodded, then asked innocently, “Is Daddy present?”

The question landed heavily in the room. Sola froze. Her husband, Kunle, who had been answering emails on his phone, looked up sharply.

“Yes, I’m present,” Kunle said quickly, forcing a smile.

Daniel shook his head gently. “No, Daddy is around, but not really here. He comes late and leaves early. That is not presence.”

Silence filled the room. The words of a child had exposed a painful truth. Kunle loved his family deeply, but his long hours and constant distractions had slowly turned him into someone who was around but rarely available.

That evening, Kunle sat alone, thinking. He realized that while he was busy building a future for his children, he was missing their present. They didn’t need a perfect provider — they needed a present father.

From that day, small changes began. Phones were put away during family time. Evenings became moments for conversations. Weekends were no longer swallowed by work. And slowly, laughter returned to the home.

Kunle learned a powerful lesson:
Being physically alive is not the same as being emotionally present.

Children don’t measure love by gifts alone; they measure it by availability.
A parent’s presence gives security, identity, and confidence that money cannot buy.

You may be busy, but don’t be distant.
You may be working hard, but don’t be absent.

Be present — because presence today becomes memories tomorrow.

KEY SCRIPTURE:
Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

PRAYER POINTS:

Lord, help me to be fully present and intentional with my family.

Father, teach me to balance responsibility with relationship.

Lord, help me build memories and bonds that will last a lifetime.

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✍️ DEEP THOUGHTS DEVOTIONALS
Inspired by the TRUTH REVEALER
Written by Opeyemi Akintunde
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