I have started just posting on Facebook and moving on. So many situations and circumstances break my heart. This week the girls were asking me if I had read about the mom who was suffering from severe post-partum and was on trial for some horrific acts. I had not, but once something was said, it popped up on my newsfeed.
This situation made me think of the people who are suffering, and others don’t see them, or they think no one sees them. They think they are alone, or maybe they are embarrassed to talk about what is wrong or that they are overwhelmed.
There was also a video I saw on Instagram a while back of two guys jogging together day after day, and then one day one guy was alone. It then had on the screen Always check on your people even when you think nothing is wrong.
At times we would never know that something was wrong with our people. We get so busy in our own world we ignore other worlds. Or at times we may say, “Well, it is none of my business.” But think, if you made some situations and circumstances your business, how many people we may save.
I get it: at times we feel that someone else will show up for our friends, or we may be scared we will say the wrong thing, or we may be stressed ourselves or not really know what to say. Or on the other hand, we may be uncomfortable with the uncomfortable.
There is one thing that we can tell our people and others who are struggling- I know that even if others don’t see you while you are struggling, God does.
But I also know that when people are in distress, they may not want to hear God sees you. So what then? It is good for us to have a story from the Bible, or our own story, to share about how God sees.
In Genesis 16, you will find three characters of the bible- Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian maid servant. If you don’t know the story, Sarah and Abraham couldn’t have a child. Sarah coaxed Abraham to sleep with Hagar. Hagar became pregnant, which sounded good to Sarah; however, she began to mistreat Hagar. Hagar was running away from the situation, but an angel of God told her to go back.
The scripture I love from this is Genesis 16:13. She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, you’re the God who sees me! Yes, He saw me; and then I saw him!
Wow, what a story to share. One, because remember Hagar is an Egyptian; they worshiped God, but in her distress, when she had no one, and no one saw her, God saw her!!!!
We need to be that deliverer that tells people we see you and God sees you. Share scriptures and stories so others will see how God works in our lives.
I want to share a Personal Pep Rally story about how God orchestrated a note from one of the chemosabe sisters to see a patient.
We received a thank you note from one of our patients. She told us how she had been in remission, but then the cancer came back. She was going to do nothing, just let the cancer have its way, but then she received a note from a chemosabe sister that said, ” Whatever Mountain is in front of you, climb it. You never know who is watching you climb and how you are helping someone else. The patient wrote and said- that note is the reason she continued to do treatment, and today she is cancer-free. We don’t even know this person. She lives in a different state, and one small package and note shifted her mindset to want to live.
We need to ask God to discern to us who needs us in their life. Who is struggling, who needs a note of encouragement or a text or a phone call. There is someone out there that needs you. It may be your neighbor. It may be someone in the line with you at the grocery store. It may be a family member but make that call. Let them know that not only Jesus sees them, but you do too.
And remember:
- 1. Show up for JESUS every day – Start your day in the Word.
- 2. Show up for OTHERS – Serve others; that is what Jesus did; He showed up for everyone, inviting them to His table.
3. Show up for YOU – Fill your cup before you help fill others’ cups.
WE WILL FIND JOY WHEN WE SHOW UP FOR JESUS, OTHERS, AND OURSELVES.
As Father Mike says, “You pray for me, and I will pray for you.”
As Tara Leigh says: He’s where the joy is.
Have a great week. Cupcake loves you, and so does Jesus.
Leave a Reply