See Me: The Universal Need to Be Seen

Hagar called God "El Roi," the God Who Sees Me," in Genesis 16; not "The God Who Gives Me Wisdom" or "The God Who Gave Me a Promise," even though He had done those things as well. What stood out to her was that He saw her.

We all need to be seen. We see this in infants as they seek their parents' gaze and in young children with their constant refrain of "watch me!" We see it in teenagers' attention-seeking behavior and the flamboyance of a midlife crisis. We want to be seen! To feel invisible is to feel insecure and insignificant, without purpose.

I think of this often when I am with the kids. If I'm paying attention, I often see them looking at me to see if I see them. Do they matter enough for me to look at them, to make eye contact and smile? This little act confirms to them their significance and makes them feel secure.

And when I feel invisible I remember that God sees me - Isaiah 43:4 says..."You are precious in my eyes, ad honored, and I love you ... ." ~ Isaiah 43:4 . This is what He says about every one of us. We matter to Him, He loves us and He sees us.

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We had a good start to the week, learning about St. Patrick's Day, playing outside, and more.