The Desire to Be Seen
Years ago I attended a national mothering conference. A lot of women had gathered together to have fun, bond with friends, and learn how to be better mothers. Unfortunately I didn’t attend with other women.
The truth was I’ve never felt so alone in my life.
I had a hotel room to myself. I sat alone during the speakers’ presentations, among 5,000 women. I remember looking around and thinking, “Nobody knows me. Nobody understands.” They didn’t know who I was. They didn’t know about my life or about my children or my ministry.
It made me think about our desire to be known. We want to feel appreciated. If we’re attending a Bible Study or we’re taking our child to a new school we don’t want to be the one that nobody knows.
It made me think of a woman in the Bible who thought she was alone. Abraham’s concubine, Hagar, had a son named Ismael and when she was sent into the desert with her son she had no one who cared for her–at least that’s what she thought. She carried much when she left Abraham’s tent. She carried the harsh words of her mistress, weighing deep in her heart. She also was weighed down with worries about her son. How would she find food and water? How would they survive?
Yet God saw her.
He reached out to Hagar and show her His love. She cried to Him with thanksgiving.
“You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13).
I don’t know about your life today. I don’t know if you’re alone … or if you feel alone even as you’re surrounded by people. Maybe you woke up today without having anyone you looked forward to seeing. But God sees you, even though you may feel like you’re alone, like I did in that crowd of women. God is there. God cares.
Prayer Request…
I’m still in Africa right now! Please join me in praying for the children around the world and especially in Africa. Please pray for the provision of the children affiliated with Awana Clubs International. Pray that their needs (emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual) be met, and especially pray their desire to be seen will be satisfied by knowing that God is there.
If you feel led to donate to Awana efforts in Kenya, please visit www.awana.org/donate
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Tricia, you are always such an encouragement to me. Even when the world might not notice us, God takes special care to love us, to see us, to bless us. I’m so grateful for His loving care.
Hope your journey to Africa is such a blessing to you and those you’re ministering to.
Blessings,
Andrea
Tricia, This touched my heart. Thank you. Pray the rest of your trip is a blessing to you and everyone the Lord touches through you.
Tricia, this is so timely and a great blessing! You reminded me of the conferences I’ve been to where I was happy to blend in with the crowd, just worship and soak in the teachings…and the ones where I felt so alone. God has seen each one of us, and is using you in a mighty way! May the time you and Awana spent in Kenya bear much, much fruit for years to come, that not one of those precious children ever would have to feel that loneliness – instead that they would feel the indwelling Holy Spirit and the arms of their Savior around them.