The Gift of Presence: Be There

Friends, In this whirlwind we call life, where calendars are bursting with ‘to-do” lists and our phones never stop pinging, God has been showing me in the way that only He can, a simple yet profound truth: sometimes, the greatest gift we can offer is our presence.

This gift of presence is a beautiful invitation to embrace the messy, sacred act of showing up and being all there for the people God has placed in our lives. 

Not long ago, on a dreary Monday, the kind where the sky matches your mood – all gray and heavy, my phone lit up with a text from a dear friend who had just lost her mom. She was hurting and I offered to drive over.  As I went, my mind was a tangled mess of what-ifs and should-I’s. What if I say the wrong thing? Should I bring food? What if I make it worse? 

But the moment she opened the door, those worries melted away. Her tear-stained face said it all, and without a word, and with little thought of what was the “right thing” to do, I reached out and simply held her close. We curled up on her worn leather couch – the one with the throw blanket her mom had crocheted – and for the next few hours, I just… stayed. We talked a little, cried a lot, and sat in silence even more. I didn’t offer any sage advice or try to silver-line her grief. I was just there, holding space for her pain and her memories.

Oh, my, that afternoon touched me at the deepest part of my soul. It showed me that in a world screaming for solutions and quick fixes, sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is to simply be present.

This ministry of presence? It’s not about having all the answers or knowing exactly what to say. It’s about:

1. Listening with our whole hearts, without rushing to fix or judge.
2. Putting down our phones (I know, I know, but trust me on this one) and giving someone our full attention.
3. Getting comfortable with silence. (It’s okay if it feels awkward at first!)
4. Offering a hug, a hand to hold, or just sitting close enough that your shoulders touch.
5. Showing up again and again, in the mundane Mondays and the crisis-filled Fridays.

When we practice presence, we’re telling someone, “You matter. Your story matters. You are seen and loved.” In a world where so many of us are walking around feeling invisible, your presence can be like cool water to a parched soul.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit – being fully present isn’t my default mode. My mind races with to-do lists, and don’t even get me started on how many times I check my phone in a day. But here’s the thing: presence is a muscle we can strengthen. It takes practice and a whole lot of grace.

Start small, sweet friends. The next time you’re having coffee with a friend, challenge yourself to keep your phone in your purse. When your kiddo is telling you about their day, put down the dish towel and really look at them. Notice how it feels, how it changes the moment.

Remember, you don’t need a degree in counseling or a title before your name to minister presence. You just need to show up with an open heart, ready to walk alongside someone in their mess and their glory.

As you move through your days – shuttling kids, conquering work projects, trying to remember if you switched the laundry – look for chances to be fully present. It might be lingering a few extra minutes at school pickup to really listen to another mom. It could be sitting with your spouse after a long day, phones off, just being together. It could be taking the time to connect with one of your adult children in a new way. Be creative! 

These moments? They’re holy ground. They’re where healing happens, where relationships deepen, where we catch glimpses of God’s love flowing through us.

So here’s my challenge to you, dear one: Embrace the ministry of presence. Be the friend who shows up, who listens deeply, who loves fiercely. Your presence – yes, yours – has the power to change lives, to whisper hope into dark places, to remind someone they’re not alone.

It won’t always be easy or comfortable. But I promise you, it will always, always be worth it.

Now, go be present. The world needs the gift that only you can give.

(first published as a guest post @ TerrieBrown.com )

If you would like to learn more about what it means to live on purpose, let’s connect here!