“Mama!” My eight-year-old yells at me from the living room. “I’m gonna take my scooter out in the front!” She straps on her helmet in the spring heat and she darts out of the door in her pjs and flip flops.
She’s already taken a bath and is looking for something do to in the in-between time between dinner and bed. The light is late these days and, like many of us, she is restless.
Up and back, she races herself during the magic hour between one end of the block and the other end of the block. I go out to watch her, because like her, I’m a little restless between dinner and bed.
“Can you video me?” she calls as she scoots past. And what she is really asking is,
“Are you watching me?”
“Can you see me?”
“Do I make you proud?”
Of course. I don’t have a lot of space on my phone right now because I take so many pictures so I wonder if it will even take a proper video.
I plop in the grass and turn my eyes and my phone to watch her. She sprints this way and the other way, and I film it.
Trying to make me proud, she spins out and tumbles {luckily} into the grass. “Get up baby-girl,” I shout to her. “You’re fine!”
I see her. I see it all. I see her successes and I see her failures, large or small.
She laughs and flip-flops across the sidewalk over to me. She unsnaps her helmet and rolls over in the grass. “Let me see it,” she begs. I give her my phone and let her watch the video of her own self.
“Look at me go!” And she squeals.
“I know,” I tell her. “You are so fast.” And I praise her and tell her that she’s amazing and I’m so proud of her. She’s still scared of learning how to ride a bike so going super-fast on a scooter is her next-best-adventure.
We lay back in this grass and we watch the sky turn a pinch more purple and a little less blue.
And then I know that this is all we want of God. This is all we really want of Him. For Him to see us. For Him to watch us. We want Him to plop on the grass next to us and simply be.
We each have this deep-set need for our spouses, our children, our friends or even our parents to really see us. We want them to notice us. But what we forget half the time is the Creator of the universe is already out there on the spring-grass with us watching us succeed and fail – and He’s enjoying US the whole time.
He is saying, “Get up, baby-girl. You can do this!”
He is saying, “I’m watching you.”
He’s saying, “I’m proud of you.”
And He’s saying, “I see you.”
The best thing about it all is that He sees the successes, failures {all of it} – and He still loves us so.
Leave a Comment
Bev Duncan @ Walking Well With God says
Sarah,
I really needed to read your post this morning. Sometimes, at critical times, I feel unseen by family members and it hurts. Your reminder that God is always there seeing me, watching me, cheering me on and helping me up when I fall, is what I truly needed to hear this morning. Thank you so much…
Blessings,
Bev
tami says
thank you, thank you for this! my mom died a year ago, and as i approach the anniversary, the empty place that she filled–friend, cheerleader, exhorter, encourager, mom, grandma–ache and sometimes hurt more sharply, acutely. anyway, i have always had a pic in my head of me twirling around in front of our Father, and He clapping for me, like a little girl showing off her new tutu. so, this fits with it, and points me in the direction of going straight to Him for my “Good Job!” and “Oh, almost!” and “Then what did you say to her?” and “Your children are the most amazing children in the world!”
thanks! (but i should have brought the tissue box over here before i read this!)
Jasmine says
Hi Sarah, it’s the 22nd pm here in NZ and although we are countries and time zones apart I really needed to hear what you wrote tonight. It’s like God talking straight to my heart and hearing me, cause for me This is all we really want of a God for him to SEE us. That is me and what I want to know, does God see me? Am I enough my meager attempts at life and my everyday steeped in sin? I love you Father, I need you,
Janet says
Amen! How He loves us so!! The good, the bad and the ugly!! I am so very grateful.
Chris Malkemes says
Amen. And a watching world watches the children of God and they see Him.
Michele says
My oldest son is a senior in high school. He’s also a baseball player. He’s preparing to go to college this next fall, and had dreams of playing baseball there too. Last night he had an accident during the game, and while he’s okay ultimately, he will probably not ever play again. He’s broken, grieving the dreams lost, wondering about the future, waiting to find out when surgery will be. I’m right there with him, ready to cry at any moment. Thank you for this reminder that God sees us now in this pain. It feels lonely but I know he’s here. He has seen the successes, and has felt the failures, and is right beside my son. Amen.
Caryn Christensen says
What a beautiful analogy of how God sees us. Glorious reading for this Friday morning.
JenM says
We all have a need to be seen. To know we are matter, that we are valued, that we are loved. I love this picture from Luke 19 of Zacchaeuss’ encounter with Jesus. Jesus looked up, saw him and called him by name. And praise God he does the same for us!
Debbie Barker says
We can’t ever be loved or cared for enough to be ready to be alone without our Moms and loved ones due to death, but as you did today with your post we need to look up and deep into our hearts for our true comforter, Jesus!!!! Who will never leave us or forsake us! Thank you so much!
Joanne says
I praise God for ALWAYS being here with me. God has NEVER walk away from me. He doesn’t always deliver me from the fire but He has ALWAYS walked me through it.
God is GRACIOUS. He knows every foolish every sinful thing I have done (or will ever do) and yet He loves me anyways!
He is a Great and Awesome God!
Kathy @ In Quiet Places says
It is such an awesome truth that God delights in us as we delight in our children, because we are His children. Your post is such a beautiful picture of this.
Jodi Michaelides says
Thank you Jesus!
cindy says
I needed this today,I’ve gone thru some major life changes,my teens are not in need of Mom anymore.time to reinvent myself. I needed to hear ‘baby girl,you can do this’ my cousin Kenny called me baby girl,and to know Lord God also thinks of me tenderly gives me hope
Lisa Murray says
Thank you for this reminder. How often I forget how much God deights in me. Yet, the more I am aware of my belovedeness, the more at peace I am with myself and the less I find myself needing so much from those around me.
Megan Brown says
Thankyou Sarah this has touched my heart so much today.
JenniferT says
Sarah –
What a sweet picture of His love for us!
Just reading the title of this post (in)couraged me. Several years ago my third brief pregnancy ended in early miscarriage while on a family beach vacation. I remember the morning after it began I read a devotional titled “El Roi – the God who Sees.” He really revealed that particular name of His to me that day (and several since). While that was certainly a sad moment, the fact the Lord wanted me to know HIS EYES NEVER LEFT ME OR MY CHILD was huge. I love this little moment of scooter skills as a reminder of the watchfulness of He who does not slumber or sleep!
Oh – and we were blessed with our third child this side of heaven a little over a year later. And today I’ve been STRUGGLING with feelings of failure as a mom and needed to read some more truth. So thanks for sharing your heart today!
Renee Swope says
I love this Sarah. So so beautiful!! Just the reminder my heart needed this morning!
Sherron Moore says
What a beautiful picture of God’s love, grace, tenderness, and peace. Thanks for sharing this. What a wonderful way to end the day…or begin the day for that matter 🙂
Susan Knox says
What a timely reminder! All 3 of my children are grown and out on their own and sometimes this phase of life can be so lonely and empty. My only daughter has followed God’s call on her life to England. When she was little I dreamed of the time we would spend together as friends when she got older, but God had such bigger plans for her life and it is such a pleasure to see your children follow after God with love and passion. Still, I’m here and she’s there and I have to fully lean on Jesus to fill that empty place and know that He is all I need!
Beth WIlliams says
Sarah,
Great post! There are many many times in my life when I just want to be noticed. Times when I feel “not good enough, stupid”. That’s when I want someone, anyone to say “good job”. “Keep up the good work”. “Wow, way to go”. Thank you for the reminder that while I may not hear that on Earth, God is saying that to me each and every day!
Marty says
I LOVE this! Thank you so much for this reminder!
Tara says
I love this so much. God sees me every day and he sees me every where I go. He is always with be for the good times and not so good times.