I See You

Recently, I was chatting with a mother and her older daughter when I noticed her younger daughter standing quietly on the periphery. As our short conversation ended, I made eye contact with the teen and was caught off guard. I recognized the look in her eyes.

It was a look of longing.  Longing to be noticed.  Longing to be sought out.  Longing to be included.  Longing to be affirmed.

I felt that way when I was her age.

I longed to be noticed by the cool kids.  I longed to be sought out by them and to be included in their clique. Because if they noticed me and invited me to join them, then that meant I was good enough.

But I wasn’t noticed.  I wasn’t invited to join in.  And I concluded I wasn’t good enough.

Sadly, that longing followed me into adulthood.  Often, I stood on the periphery, unnoticed and uninvited.  I struggled with my self-worth.

Even now, there are times when I stand on the periphery, unnoticed by the who’s-whos. I’m not invited to be part of their clique.  But now, it's okay.

I have learned who I am in Christ.

God sees me. He sought me out, called me by name.  He deems me worthy.  I'm created by Him, in His image, and for His good purpose.

Because I'm seen and known by God, I want to do the same for others—no! I need to do the same for others!

So, I see you, young girl with the bright eyes. I will make it a point to stop and engage you in conversation, genuinely interested in what’s going on in your world.

I see you, college-age cashier. I see your weary eyes, tired from balancing your studies with work. I will ask you how your day is going and call you by name.

I see you, sir, standing watch at the base. I will greet you each morning and thank you for your service.

I see you, young mother, trying to wrangle your kiddos in the grocery store.  I see you, Mr. Automechanic, with oily hands and dealing with cranky customers.  I see you, Miss Receptionist, trying to check in impatient patients.

Whoever you are—even if it’s in passing for a moment in time—I will do my best to acknowledge that I see you.

And God sees you because you’re worth noticing.

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11