B is for Being Present – Presence Over Presents

Read The Daily:
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them…” —Mark 10:14

Post by Eric Maloney

I’ve noticed that a lot of parents look for a babysitter for their kids when they go out to socialize. Growing up, my dad did something completely different—he didn’t leave me behind; he invited me into everything. If he headed out for volleyball with friends, I was in the middle of the action. If there was a backyard cookout or a garage pool game, I was right there beside him, learning the ropes and feeling like I truly belonged.

Have you ever been sidelined when you wanted to join in instead of watching from afar?

Being part of his world taught me two things: first, that presence matters far more than presents, and second, that community grows when you include each other—no apprenticeship required. I still remember the first time I dove for that volleyball; my hands stung, but it was worth it because I wasn’t just an observer—I was a teammate. Those weekends are a small piece of what formed my view of what family looks like: messy, noisy, and incredibly welcoming.

How might your own “inconvenient” moments become invitations for someone else to feel seen and loved?

Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to wait until the children were quiet or polite; He stopped everything and welcomed them in. That’s the kind of presence our world needs—dropping agendas, leaning in, and making space for the little voices. When we love like that, we’re loving just as He loved us.

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.

Read The New Testament In A Year

Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:16-23

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety. We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you. 2 Corinthians 13:1-10

Read More – Bible Project Overviews: Matthew, 2 Corinthians