Casandra Martin

Invisibility seems like it would be a cool super power. We could glide into rooms unnoticed, listen in on top-secret conversations, and find the clue that will save the world. In real life, being invisible is more a matter of the heart than a super power. We all have an ache to be seen. This isn’t a grab for personal glory or a pathological need for attention. It is a need wired into our souls – a need to be known, loved, valued, and appreciated.

Feeling invisible makes our hearts heavy. We move through our days wondering if we register in anyone’s eyes as anything other than a solid object to move around. We live in such a fast-paced world that it is easy to be surrounded by people, but never connect to anyone.

Hagar knows how you feel. Mistreated, abused, ignored, used, and taken for granted, Hagar feels so invisible she flees into the desert. On the road to Shur, she has a conversation that changes her life and her direction. The Lord tells her that He has heard of her misery, seen her service, understands her circumstances, and then tells her submission must define the direction of her heart. Hagar turns around and goes back home. The situation hasn’t changed. She has no reason to expect to be treated any differently. But a few words on the road lift the weight of invisibility off of Hagar’s heart. Here’s why. In Genesis 16:13, Hagar says, “You are the God who sees me….”

God sees you. He notices what you do. He pays attention to how you move through your day. He sees you when you feel tired, unappreciated, used up, or unloved. He notices your quiet kindnesses, your effort to give your best, and your unseen sacrifices. He sees and He smiles. He notices and draws near. He pays attention and pours out His promises and purpose. He sees you. You can walk back into any circumstance you face today with the confidence and peace that comes from knowing that you are known and deeply loved.

My Jesus Resolution today is to really see someone around me. I am going to slow down and pay attention to the people who walk through my day. I want to listen, not just hear; see, not just glance; love, not just pass by. A hug, a note, a shoulder, or a smile may be all it takes to lift the weight of invisibility off of someone’s heart today. God sees me. I want the way I interact with others today to help them see God.

We are big on birthdays at my house. They are such a big deal in our family that we can’t just celebrate one a year. We throw a party on half-birthdays as well. We call them Special Someone Days.

On Special Someone Days, we focus on celebrating the blessings of having that special someone in our family. We pile on the laughs, throw in a few presents, whip up a favorite dinner, and have some deliberate fun. I just don’t think that you can be too thankful, share too much joy, laugh together too often, or over-celebrate love. On this special day, we are deliberate about telling our Special Someone that they are important to us, how they have blessed our lives, what they mean to our family, and that they are worth celebrating.

You can imagine that Jesus made every day Special Someone Day. Perhaps it was the leper who hugged everyone he met on the street, the blind person who couldn’t take his eyes off the sunlight, or the paralyzed individual who skipped home to his family. Maybe it was the sinner who received grace, the broken who rejoiced in wholeness, or the lost who found the Way. Every day, Jesus looked around, touched a heart, and declared with His presence and power that they were worth celebrating.

He is still doing that today. God has named today Special Someone Day. Today He is celebrating you. He has taken this day and filled it with His presence, painted in joy, poured out blessings, and saturated it with His love – all for you. He wants you to know that you are worth it – worth loving, worth dying for, worth pursuing, worth transforming, and worth celebrating.

My Jesus Resolution today is to find the joy God has planted in my Special Someone Day. He made this day for me. I am going to celebrate the relationship we share, the gift of His presence, and the grace that allows me to recognize how much He really loves me and how much I really need Him. I am going to make this a deliberate day of praise, thanksgiving, rejoicing, and reflection. I am going to tell my Special Someone how much He means to me.