Have you engaged in a conversation with someone who looks right past you as you speak? Or, they immediately turn the conversation to themselves every chance they get?
I believe we all know people that exhibit this behavior. They fail to connect with you in the moment. When you want their words and actions to say, “I see you,” they do the opposite. The result? You feel unimportant and unseen.
Feeling Unseen
I am all too familiar with the dilemma of feeling unseen. Recently, I was in an emotional situation with a beloved family member. As we met to work through our differences, I thought, “ You don’t know me at all.” In return, she shared with me, “You don’t see who I am!” Feeling unseen was a painful problem for both of us and not easily solved.
Thankfully, God in His goodness took my eyes off my problem and pointed me to the answer.
You are Mine
As I watched the must-see video series, “The Chosen,” I found myself so engrossed in the interactions between between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Mary acted as if she had no value or purpose because of her struggles with the seven demons that plagued her life. People experienced Mary as a tortured soul.
Then, Jesus came to her. Even as she tried to flee from Him, Jesus drove the demons from her with a compassionate touch and the release of a few words. Whole and healed with one touch! Jesus reminds her beautifully that He has rescued and redeemed her. He declares that He knows her by name and she is His (Isaiah 43:1). It’s a powerful scene!
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Through His love and compassion, Jesus says to Mary, “I see you.” He affirms that she is not her past, but that she is whole, loved, and pure. Jesus calls forth her true nature and God-given identity from within her once hardened shell scarred by sin. Mary is forever changed!
During my relationship struggles, I remind myself that when others don’t see or value me, Jesus truly sees me. Like Mary, Jesus knows me by name and I am His! I only have to seek his presence through worship or prayer and see myself through his eyes. So many verses in the Word describe who I am in Jesus and call forth my true identity.
“I see you,” Jesus says. Can you feel it? The next time you struggle with feeling unseen, revel in the joy of being truly known!
Thanks, Karen for your blog post and reminder that no matter what is going on in our relationships and circumstances, Jesus really does see us and knows and loves us… though every challenge and every doubt.