Joyful Presence in a Distracted World

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  They were watching their children perform live…through their phones.

I went to my daughter’s Valentine’s musical expecting music, little voices, and proud parent moments.

I did not expect a wake-up call.

I was running late, so I slipped quietly into the back of the room and stood against the wall. From there, I could see everything — the stage, the parents, the lights, the tiny performers shifting nervously in their spots.

And what I noticed first…wasn’t the children.

It was the parents.

Rows and rows of them sat with their phones lifted high, recording the performance. Screens glowing. Arms raised. Eyes fixed — not on the stage, but on their displays.

They were watching their children perform live…through their phones.

And the thought that crossed my mind was simple and startling:

We are missing real life while trying to capture it.

Not because we don’t care.

But because we don’t want to miss anything.

And somehow, in trying not to miss it— we do.

The Illusion of Holding the Moment

We tell ourselves we’re preserving memories.

We want to replay them later.

We want proof that we were there.

But what if the real gift of the moment…was meant to be experienced, not archived?

There is something sacred about undistracted attention.

About looking up.

About letting your eyes meet reality instead of a screen.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

Stillness is not just about silence.

It’s about presence.

Curated Life vs. Lived Life

We live in a culture that quietly trains us to curate instead of experience.

We capture instead of absorb.

We post instead of ponder.

We record instead of rejoice.

And I get it — truly.

I love photos. I love memories. I love documenting life too.

But standing there in the back of that room, watching parents watch their children through glass screens, I felt this gentle conviction rise in my heart:

Real life deserves our real attention.

Because joy isn’t found in replaying the moment later.

It’s found in being fully awake inside it now.

Joyful Presence Is a Choice

Presence doesn’t happen accidentally.

It’s chosen.

• Chosen when we silence a notification.

• Chosen when we put the phone down.

• Chosen when we look someone in the eyes instead of down at our hands.

Presence is love made visible.

It tells your family: You matter more than my distraction.

It tells your friends: You have my full attention.

It tells God: You are worth my focus.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13

Not half-heartedly.

Not distractedly.

With all your heart.

The Moment I’ll Never Forget

When my daughter spotted me standing in the back, her eyes lit up.

Not because I recorded her.

Not because I captured the song.

Not because I documented the performance.

But because I was there.

Fully there.

Watching her.

Smiling at her.

Present with her.

And in that moment, I realized something I don’t want to forget:

She doesn’t need proof I saw her.

She needs my presence to show her.

Why This Matters More Than We Think

One day, our children won’t remember how many videos we took.

They’ll remember:

• if we were attentive

• if we were engaged

• if we looked at them with joy

• if they felt seen

Because presence is what people feel.

Not pixels.

And the same is true with God.

We don’t grow closest to Him through quick glances.

We grow close through attention.

Final SIP Moment

You don’t have to document every moment to prove it mattered.

Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is put your phone down,

lift your eyes, and receive the life happening right in front of you.