DO YOU SEE ME?
A recurring saying that I have heard over the past two weeks whilst on holiday is “Did you see me?” It didn’t matter what age a child was, as they played in the pool they would constantly be looking for affirmation from their parents and so they would shout out “Watch me, watch me” or “Did you see me?” I don’t know if this is just me and my circumstances but the children I see really do want to feel noticed.
I watch my grandchildren now and one thing that is visible with them is that even though they desire a lot less cuddles as they grow up, they still continue to look for ways of grabbing our attention. They want Simon and I to not just see them from a distance but to really see them! They want us to be so proud of them (which we are) but they also don’t want us to miss any detail. If we do happen to miss anything, there is a sadness on their face and their mood sinks which tells me that they feel forgotten or rejected.
I don’t think that need to ‘be seen' ever really goes away, no matter what age we are. We long to be ‘seen’ by others whether that be by our parents, our spouses, our children, our family members, our employers or from the community we live. None of us want to feel forgotten, unnoticed or unloved by anyone! It’s strange but although we may be well versed with the scriptures, there are moments when we all can feel that even God has forgotten us!
When things in life are going our way, it is so easy to feel that God sees us, that He values us and that we matter to Him but when things aren’t going our way then it becomes a lot tougher. When it feels as though everything is against us, our thoughts have a way of questioning God’s character and those questions are something like this:
Does God even see me?
Do I really matter to God?
Am I not as important to God as they are?
Sometimes I live with guilt that I doubted God’s love for me! As much as I know and believe that God sent Jesus to die on a cross for me, it’s fair to say that there are still times that I doubt how much I mean to God especially when the world around me seems to be so distant.
It helps to know that many of the Bible characters went through times of feeling rejected, feeling unheard and most definitely feeling unseen. God didn’t reject them, they weren’t unheard and they most definitely weren’t unseen by God but there were still times when they felt as though they didn’t matter to God.
Reading through Genesis chapters 29 and 30 we can see that in their own way Jacob, Leah Rachel and even their 10 sons are all asking the question that we sometimes ask; “God do you see me?” With so many people living on earth, it is so easy to wonder if God actually sees us or whether we are simply lost in the crowd even though the truth is that God is and always has been making ways to let us know that He does see us and that we do matter to Him.
Jacob wondered if he was unseen. He really didn’t like being the second born to his twin Esau so he stole and cheated to try and get ahead in life. God graciously came and visited him and gave him blessing, letting him know that God did see him.
Leah wondered too. She didn’t feel loved or valued in life by anyone. Leah didn’t feel seen like those around her. God did see her and he gave her sons; one being Judah. If you are not aware of Judah then it is fair to see that Judah became many, in the form of the Tribe of Judah which was the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great Kings David and Solomon, it was also prophesied that Jesus the Messiah would come from its members.
Rachel who was barren felt unseen by God but God did see her and He blessed her with children. Even the 10 sons questioned their worth. They wondered ‘God do you see us’ because their father didn’t see them. Jacob always placed a higher value on his son Joseph and so the earlier siblings did deceitful things to Joseph and then lied to their father. In His grace, God later rescues them from the famine and then restores the family.
Even though they didn’t feel loved at points in their lives, God saw them all and God sees all of us today! Jesus told the disciples and He would tell us the same today that we are not one of many; He sees us:
Matthew 10 v 29 - 31 - NIV
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Today we should find comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father sees us! Our identity should come from Him and not from the emotional questions that run wild through our heads. We don’t need to chase the opinions of those around us if we truly believe that He sees us and that we matter to Him.
Praise be to God that His affirmation is the only identity that we truly need!
By Valda Rushton 5th July 2023
