I read a blog recently that talked about our desire as humans to be seen. To have a witness to our life. Whether that be a romantic partner, a friend, a sibling, or a stranger on the street, we need to know that we haven’t walked through this life on our own.
Now, this bit of truth is something that I’ve known conceptually for a long time. But until this week, I never grasped the weight of this need in me or in those around me.
Saturday morning I got up early to meet some friends downtown to love on the homeless who live on the streets of our great city (Chicago). I was so excited to have the chance to put myself out there for the first time in a long time and really be the hands and feet of Christ. But I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. I wasn’t sure what this would look like. What would I say? How would I approach them? What if they didn’t want to talk? So, I prayed. I talked to Jesus and the Holy Spirit about my fears. I asked for confidence, for boldness and for the words to say. I asked to be given the eyes, the ears, the heart and the thoughts of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. And I got just that. I began to understand the longing that these people had to just be seen. To know that someone saw them, cared for them, loved them. So often they get passed by, dismissed by thousands of people every day, too busy or too afraid to speak to them. As my friends and I walked the streets of Chicago, the Holy Spirit opened the door for us to not only provide food and warm clothes, but prayer and healing. Each person asked for prayer, often for physical healing or for a specific need. It was incredible to sit next to someone that I did not know, yet feel so connected to them by the power of the Holy Spirit. To touch them and know that they were feeling the love of Jesus through my hand was such an incredible and humbling gift.
As I sat down on the train toward home, headphones in as usual, I started to get lost in my own mind. I was overwhelmed and excited from all that had happened earlier, leaving me feeling pretty tired and I really just wanted to get home, get warm and take a nap. But then a young guy came onto the train and sat in a seat near me. God nudged my heart a little bit and brought this guy to my attention. As we waited for the train to leave the station, more and more people piled into our compartment. He started moving closer to me, offering his seat to those who needed it, until he asked if he could sit in the empty seat next to me. As we sat next to each other, both with our headphones in, God nudged me more and more insistently. He had something planned that required me to put in a bit of effort. I wasn’t too keen on the idea at first. But, God was persistent, so I took my headphones out and started to tune into what He was saying. When I finally got the courage to say something to the stranger sitting next to me, I was able to sit back and watch (in amazement to be honest) as the Holy Spirit led this conversation to Jesus. I walked away from that train ride, knowing that Jesus had touched that young man’s heart and that he would remember that conversation for years to come. Another soul was introduced to Jesus simply by me seeing him.
These experiences not only made my heart feel overwhelmed with joy and with excitement, but deeply convicted as well. You see, it’s quite easy (for me at least) to make complete strangers feel seen. Those who are homeless, or sitting on a train alone are easy to spot as being “in need”. But what about the cashier at the grocery store? Or the people that I work with? What about those closest to me? Do they not need to be seen too? Does Jesus not want to speak to them, to touch their hearts, to fill them with His love just as much?
For too long, my own flesh and blood have been crying out for help, and time and time again I have walked past them – too busy, too afraid, too annoyed to really see them. So Jesus rocked me. He made this weakness in me painfully apparent. And now, I’m going to do something about it.
You. Yes you, reading this blog. There’s something that I want you to know.
You are SEEN.
You are KNOWN.
You are LOVED.
You have a witness to your life. You are never alone. You are being pursued every minute of every day by the creator of this world, your Father in heaven. He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. He is always for you. He makes good of all things. He hears every cry, every laugh, every dream. He knows the deepest desires of your heart. He longs to love on you, to carry you, to bless you. He longs for you to know Him, to really know Him for who He is. He sees you. He knows you. He loves you. And if I know my God, I believe with everything inside of me that He will bring people to show this to you. He will bring people into your life to see you, to be physical witnesses to your life.
As I reflect upon this revelation, I find my heart filled with a burning desire to really see those around me. I don’t want to be the type of person that is so blinded by my own problems, my own thoughts, my own insecurities to notice those that Jesus brings into my life. I no longer want to sit idly back as those around me cry out, longing for someone to acknowledge them. I will see them. I will open the doors in my heart to Jesus, so that He can show them through me that He sees them. I am so beyond excited to carry this revelation into The Race, but if I’m honest, I’m even more excited to start living my life this way. Because for me, this is what being the light of Jesus really looks like.
