Editor's Note It is a big deal By Darcy L. Fargo

December 18, 2024

“I don’t know why it’s a big deal,” said Jake, my son.

Jake was showing me a string of emails from faculty at his school. The emails were praising Jake for his work shooting photos of the school’s cross-country team for the yearbook. In addition to taking the standard, posed team photos, Jake had stayed for a full cross-country meet, and the meet happened to include senior night, when the team honors its graduating seniors. He took candid photos of the runners, and he took photos of the seniors.

Jake stayed until the last runner crossed the finish line.

In the string of emails Jake showed me, one of the faculty members noted the cross-country team didn’t usually get that kind of attention from the yearbook staff; photographers typically didn’t stay through an entire meet.

That was when Jake told me he didn’t “know why it’s a big deal.”

“I think we’ve discussed this before, my guy,” I said. “Oftentimes, presence is the biggest present you can give someone. You gave them your time and your full attention. That’s giving a lot, especially these days, when there are so many demands on both. It’s the same reason we do experience gifts instead of regular gifts. Time together is more valuable than just about anything.”

I thought about that conversation as we prepare to embark on Jake’s Christmas experience gift (also his senior year/grad gift) – a trip to Texas to attend a football game and in Houston and tour the stadium in Dallas – stadiums 11 and 12 in Jake’s effort to visit all 30 NFL stadiums.

Jake is 17. I can’t imagine he’ll want to adventure with his mom for many more years. While the trip is his gift, the time with him is such a gift to me. It’s something I treasure.

How appropriate that we’re thinking about and talking about the present of presence. It’s the time of year when we celebrate the fact that God came to be with us, present with and for humanity and present with and for Jake and for you and for me. His presence was and is a present.

It’s easy to forget that as I get wrapped up in completing my to-do lists before our trip and before Christmas.
And Jesus wants our presence.

As we move into the closing portion of Advent, I’ve started intentionally adding a bit more quiet reflection time – time with Jesus – to my day. It’s only a few minutes in the morning, but it’s added joy and peace to at least the start of my days.

And any time with Jesus is a big deal.