One of the most overlooked fruits of the Spirit is presence.

I don’t think most of us wake up intending to be distracted.

It usually happens slowly. Quietly.
A full mind. A buzzing phone. A list that never seems to end. And before we know it, the people we love most are getting a tired, divided version of us—not because we don’t care, but because we’re human. Because we’re carrying a lot. Because the pace of life rarely leaves much margin.

And this realization is both tender + humbling:
the people who we would give our whole selves for end up receiving fragmented pieces of what we have left to give them.
And yet our presence is most formative for THEM!

Not in the big, highlight-reel moments.
In the ordinary ones.

In the tone we use when we answer a question at the end of a long day.
In whether we sigh first—or listen first.
In how quickly we move to correction instead of curiosity.
In whether our “one second” feels patient or dismissive.
In how we respond when we’re tired, stressed, or already thinking about what’s next.

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about awareness. And honestly—it’s an invitation.

Scripture doesn’t call us to be impressive; it calls us to love. And love is often quiet. It stays soft. It’s willing to be interrupted. It chooses presence over efficiency. (Even 1 Corinthians 13 doesn’t read like a checklist—it reads like a heart slowly shaped by Jesus.)

One of the most overlooked fruits of the Spirit is presence.
Not just being in the room—but being with someone.
The kind that listens without multitasking, notices what’s underneath the words + initiates safety because it fights for nearness.

But here’s the grace in all of this: God isn’t asking you to overhaul your life overnight. He’s forming you gently, in small moments. In choices that don’t look spiritual—but absolutely are.

Maybe today that looks like putting your phone face-down.
Getting on the floor + playing the game.
Softening your tone.
Staying five seconds longer instead of rushing ahead.

God is all about efficiency but not at the cost of losing what matters.

Take heart,
There is so much grace in this.
But I would bet the peace you’re craving is found in ordering your attention where God calls it first.