Someone sees you

This is for anyone who may be feeling left out, passed over, or otherwise ignored and unappreciated. Just remember that the God who made Heaven and earth (that means everything and everyone,) loves you. God beholds you in His loving gaze and, just as a loving parent will delight in everything their small child does, so He delights in you.

You may stumble, fall, or otherwise mess up, but God loves you anyway. He loves you despite knowing you better than anyone else in the world or who ever was in the world. Remind yourself of that when you feel like the world has forgotten you’re here. You don’t need the world to know. You have our Triune God gazing upon you night and day, waiting for you to leap into His loving arms. And He will hold you and strengthen you, and give you His peace. Oh, and don’t think God will passively wait for you to arrive. He’ll see you coming from a long way off (because He always sees you) and He will fast approach you as you move forward. Some might say He’ll run! See the Prodigal Son parable for details.

Or, as in another favorite parable, the Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep of His flock to search for the one who has wandered away and is lost. The child who leaves/the sheep that wanders – that is you; that is me. And the One who loves us all as if there were only one of us, seeks you when you thoughtlessly go away from Him. So great is the Father’s love for you (and for me). You are His and don’t forget that!

It should also be mentioned, and perhaps emphasized, that the world tries to tell you that you need to be ‘big’ to make a splash, to be important, famous, powerful. That’s all a lie. You don’t need any of that. You don’t need to be rich or to have a good time all the time, either. You just need God’s love and you have that already.  Doesn’t matter what you’ve done ore where you’ve been. God loves you and He wants you with Him. Delight in that!

Bask in the love of God and rejoice in the love, mercy, and grace God is heaping upon you! Open up your heart, your soul, and let God in. And then, you will know how special you are. And you will no longer seek to be known by the world. You will find that staying small and insignificant is the best way to be. You won’t have to worry about everyone knowing who you are or what you do. Because knowing you have God’s attention, constant and unwavering, is more than enough.

St. Terese of Lisieux introduced the world to the “little way.” Small things done with great love are what matters. Small moments, a smile, a hug, a thank you, an expression of forgiveness or an “I’m sorry” – these are what can change a life. So, yes, you can stay small and insignificant, confident in the knowledge that you are a beloved child of God. That love enlarges your capacity to love others. That is the only place you want growth: in your heart and in your spiritual life.

Insignificance in the eyes of the world doesn’t matter to the children who know God loves them. They know that they are quite significant to the One who is love. And that’s the only One who matters.

So, join me in prayer to remain small and insignificant in the eyes of the world. Knowing that you are neither of those in the eyes of God.

(Graphic in photo from https://www.brickhouseinthecity.com )