Our Family on TV Last Week

“How’d you feel about being on TV today?” 

“Kinda weird.” With a half grin, Blake answers. His post-bath-time wet hair is spiky in every direction.

Turns out I have a kid who has been on the front page of the New York Times. His face has graced the pages of our local newspaper and TV station, his voice has echoed across the air waves on the radio around here. 

And he couldn’t care less, but I’m beginning to recognize what he does care about.

Blake basically asks for the same thing just about every day. It’s something most kids ask for. It is something most human beings are asking for, but they don’t always know how to ask.

He brings me tiny Lego creations and wants my eyes to take in the creativity. 

He scribbles stick-figure comic strips that I’m not totally sure I “get.”

He draws folding surprise pictures, and wants me to open the flaps to see what’s inside.

He’s asking what we’re all asking: Do you see me?

When I stop what I’m doing to really look, I say yes.

When I stop what I’m doing to really listen, I say yes.

Yes, I see. Yes, I really see.

What an impact it made on Nathanael when he realized Jesus saw him before he knew he’d even been seen. Perhaps quiet and meditating under his own fig tree, in his own garden – Jesus commends Nathanael as ‘an Israelite in whom there is no deceit’ and between the lines it seems He says, “Before you were called, before you were willing to come, I saw you.” 

When we realize we are seen, we also begin to see a little more clearly.

So what can we learn from a kid who doesn’t care about his miracle story being told to the masses – but wants his Mama to see his Lego creations every day?

1. We are all kids who want to be seen the most by the people who matter to us the most. So let’s pay attention to our people. Let’s turn our screens off, put our phones down, make eye contact, and really see, really hear, really be present for our spouses, our parents, our children, our friends. Your fully-here presence says Yes, I see.
2. We are all kids with a Father who sees us. He isn’t distracted by a cosmic iPhone in His pocket. He really sees you, beloved. He really hears your prayers. His fully-here presence says, Yes, I see. Yes, I hear. Yes, I care.

This is loving God and loving your neighbor: to truly love, we have to truly see. And to receive God’s great love for us, we have to believe we are seen.

Can you slow down this week to see, darling? Dear one, precious child of God, can you hear El Roi whisper, “I see you?” You are fully seen and known, and miraculously – so loved, so so loved at the same time.

P.S. If you missed the 700 Club story this week, you can watch it, and grab the Crisis ebook I created out of a heart to share a little slice of what we learned in that hard place with others going through hard places. Both links are right here: https://www.carolinecollie.com/links/

A New eBook For You! 

I created a new resource to serve folks facing hard seasons of life, called It Won’t Feel Like This Forever: Brave Your Crisis With Wisdom and Faith. It’ll help you communicate with God and the people around you to help you walk through tough seasons.

I’m praying these words will be a gift to many in dark places. If you’re walking a hard road right now, or you know someone who is, I’d love for you to grab this free ebook. It is mercifully short, but holds some hard-fought-for wisdom and practical advice in the form of 5 Simple Tips to help you find the Light in Dark Places. Click the link below and I’ll shoot it to your inbox lickety-split!

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