God's Parenting Playbook: Divine Strategies for Earthly DadsНамуна

BEING PRESENT AND AVAILABLE: REFLECTING GOD’S CONSTANT PRESENCE

Psalm 139:7-12 lays out beautiful imagery that shows us that God is always with us and always available to us. God is never too busy for you. Think about that for a moment. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe is never in the middle of something so important that He can't give you His full attention. He doesn't put you on hold, check His phone while you're talking, or tell you to come back later when He's less busy.

In Matthew 28:20 the disciples are told by Jesus that He will always be with them. They will always have His presence. As believers, that gift of His constant presence is available to us too. Yet as fathers, we often struggle with presence. We're physically in the room but mentally at work. We're home for dinner but distracted by the day's stress. We say we're listening, but our eyes keep drifting to the screen. Our children are trying to connect with us, and we're giving them the leftover pieces of our attention.

Being present isn't just about time—it's about attention. Your child doesn't need you to be available 24/7, but when they need you, they need to know they can have you. Really have you. Not the distracted, multitasking version of you, but the dad who stops what he's doing and gives them his full focus.

This is especially crucial during the moments that don't seem significant to us but are huge to them. The random question at bedtime. The story they want to tell about something that happened at school. The invitation to play a game or look at something they created. These aren't interruptions to your important work—they are your most important work.

Creating regular one-on-one time with each child communicates that they're worth your undivided attention. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. It could be a weekly breakfast together, a walk around the neighborhood, or even doing chores side by side. The key is consistency and intentionality.

When I was writing my first book, my oldest grandson was eight and was staying with us for a couple of days. I was so focused on my writing but he still interrupted to see if I would play a game with him or go outside. After the tenth interruption, God nudged me. This writing will still be here when he leaves in two days but he won’t. I needed that nudge. I closed the computer, grabbed the basketball and headed outside with my grandson at my side.

Being emotionally available means your children know they can come to you with anything—their fears, their excitement, their confusion, their mistakes. You become the safe place where they can be honest without fear of judgment or dismissal. This requires us to manage our own emotional reactions so we can respond rather than react to what they share.

God's presence in our lives isn't conditional based on whether we have good news or bad news to share. He's equally present in our celebrations and our crises. Our children need to know that we're available in both their triumphs and their struggles.

Reflection Questions:

1. When your child wants your attention, what percentage of the time do you give them your full focus?
2. How do your children typically try to get your attention, and how do you usually respond?
3. What barriers keep you from being fully present with your family?

Next Steps:

• Establish a "device-free" time each day when you're fully available to your family.
• Schedule individual one-on-one time with each child this week, even if it's just 15 minutes.
• When your child approaches you with something, stop what you're doing and give them eye contact.
• Ask each child: "When do you feel like you have my best attention?" and listen to their answers.