Do You See What I See?
By Jane Lewis--
One of the most precious gleanings I have grasped from reading God’s word is when God spoke to Hagar, an outcast. She called Him “El Roi,” the “God Who sees.” He saw her, really saw her, and He sees us—He sees you. And yet, I find myself wondering at times. I wonder...dare I ask?
“Dear Precious Lord, may I ask You something?”
“Always, my beloved, always.”
“Do You really see ME? I mean, do You see me while I am going through my inner struggles? Do You see me in my hurts? Do You see me in my brokenness, my regrets, my longings? Do You see me when I’m so uncertain about my future? Do You see me when I or someone I love suffers greatly in body? Do You see me when I suffer in relationships—in my marriage, my sibling relationships, my children, my friendships? Do You see me when I am treated badly by others? Do You see me when I am impacted by the evil influences in my life, in the world? Do You see me as I watch my parent or spouse begin to lose themselves, and do You “see” them? Do You see me as I try to continue on when I have no energy left? Do You see me when I try so hard to support my family? Do You see me as I agonize over my children, wanting them to be restored to You and once more experience the joy of Your salvation, and do You “see” them, wherever they are? Do You see me as I struggle with mental illness? Do You see me when I am grieving the loss of my loved one? Do You really see me, Lord? Do You really love me?”
“My precious child, I ALWAYS see you in whatever state you find yourself in, and I ALWAYS love you. I see your struggles, I see your pain, I see your heartache, I see your sorrows. I see YOU, always. Now, may I ask you a question? Do YOU see ME?"
“Do I see You? What do you mean, Lord?”
"Do you see Me? Do you see Me loving you and being present in every situation you are in? Christmastime is here, where those who know Me celebrate “God’s love coming down.” Do you see Me in that? Do you see Me stepping down from Heaven to come to earth—for you? Do you see Me born and lying in the manager—for you? Do you see Me growing and living an earthly life, with all that it entails, for you? Do you see Me traveling from town to town, sharing the love of My Father, teaching, healing, and blessing others—for them yes, but also for you? Do you see Me suffering and dying on the cross for all sins, yours, and others—for you? Do you see Me rising from the dead and bringing everlasting life to all who believe in Me—for you?
And My dear child, do you “see” Me in your today? I see you in every breath you take and in every moment and situation you find yourself in. I am right there with you. But do you “see” Me there? Do you see Me giving you breath? Do you see Me providing for you in this very moment? Do you see Me sharing in your pain? Do you see Me offering you a peace that surpasses understanding in spite of where you find yourself? Do you see My love that came down at Christmas and My love that continues on today? Oh yes, My beloved, I do see you, always. Do you see Me?”
“Oh Lord, I want to see You in my everything. And sometimes I do, but at other times it's hard. I will try to have my eyes—and my heart—more open to seeing. Thank You for still loving me, and for still seeing me, even when I forget to consider or acknowledge the importance of me seeing You. And thank You, that especially during difficult times when I need reminders, encouragement, and support from others to help me know that You are indeed here with me and that You do truly see me, You place the right people there for me. They help remind me to look and to “see You”—to see you loving me in each and every moment I’m in. Thank You, my dear precious Lord, for You, and for the people You provide to me."
I don’t know about you, but I find myself in awe of how much God loves us. It’s certainly not because of anything we did to deserve it. He loves us because of who He is. He chose us first, WHILE we were yet sinners, so unworthy. We are redeemed when we accept Him as our Savior. I certainly don’t deserve it, and there are times when it’s hard for me to accept it, or even identify it, but even when I don’t feel it, I know it’s true. I thank God that He is who He is, and, like my dear friend says, “…and Who He will ALWAYS be.” Amen to that!
How about you? Are you feeling seen by God? Are you seeing Him? There are times when things happen in our lives that rock our world in ways that make it hard for us to see anything beyond the moment we are in. It just seems too unbearable. The pain, uncertainty, confusion, and brokenness seems to blind us from seeing past anything. Sometimes we need someone to help us see. As many of you know, we have Stephen Ministry here at our church that is made up of lay people whose passion it is to meet with people one-on-one, and to walk alongside and be Jesus to them when they are going through tough times. Please reach out to our church if you (or someone you know) are in need of an extra set of eyes to help you see God is present, He does see you, and you will get through this time with His help and His great love for you. (All care is confidential: )
As we celebrate His love come down, let us see Him. Do you see what I see?
Merry Christmas!