Ever feel forgotten? Invisible?
You know those times when it’s as if life and everyone in it are marching on, leaving you on the sidelines? Like no one cares. Or notices.
It can be pretty lonely out there.
The truth is, most of the time when people forget you or pass you over, it's not because of you. It’s because they've gotten sidetracked, stuck in something somewhere, distracted, or are just too busy. It’s easy to forget what's important when life has you in a flurry.
I find myself turning and talking to God a LOT lately. He's always there, He always cares, and He's always God. It can't get better than that! If God is for you, who can be against you?
I found myself in one of those funks one Christmas season. And in my funk, I reached out to a couple of my closest "people."
No one picked up their phones when I called. No one called me back. No one responded to my texts. I felt invisible at home, shrinking with the TV in the background. I felt forgotten, abandoned, and alone. There was no one to connect with in my time of need.
It's not the first time.
I realized it wasn't truly a reflection of how people felt or what they thought of me. These days, everyone is very "busy," especially around the holidays, myself included.
So, I said my prayers and talked to God. I didn't expect a detailed response, but ultimately, I knew I'd be okay—I always am.
Then, something happened. It was small, silly, and meaningless to many, but it was huge to me. I knew it was God telling me, "I am seen."
I commented on a post by a person I follow on social media.
Three hundred seventy-four people had also commented that day.
I’d been following this person for many months, so I knew they rarely responded to people who commented on their posts. With hundreds of thousands of loyal followers, they are an important influence in their faith-based circle, and the messages they share are impactful and powerful.
A couple of days later, after much prayer in response to my feeling down, I got a notification on my phone.
This person not only responded to my comment but also had to have looked at my profile to get my name, as they did not use my "handle" in their comment.
Whoa. I was stunned!
And he kicker?
Over 476 people had commented by then. Yet I was the only person they had responded to, and with a warmth that made me smile.
I had been seen! Acknowledged! I felt that, in that moment, I mattered.
I immediately praised God. I knew He had caused this person to be moved to acknowledge me. To let me know they saw me.
I realized then, more importantly, that ultimately, it was GOD who saw me!
He knew how that response would make me feel, so he did something small and simple to let me know I was seen.
I occasionally go back to the post to remember how God reminded me that day. There were so many comments, and the ONLY response was to me. Wow.
I am seen. I am loved. Always. Even when the world and those closest to me don't take the time to let me know, God does. This time, it happened to be on a social media post in front of hundreds of people from one of my favorite inspirational public figures.
God is so Cool.
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