Just a face in the crowd?
A couple of weeks ago I went to the Minnesota State Fair with my family. This 12-day event is one of the largest in the United States, attracting 2 million people every year. We had a great time enjoying food, music, and many exhibits and attractions. Throughout the day there was an ever-growing sea of people in the streets—To illustrate, we had to wait in a line 2 blocks long to get some famous homemade Amish donuts!
I realized I was just one person in a sea of humanity—a face in the crowd.
I imagine all of us feel that way at points in life. I am convinced, however, that God doesn’t view us that way. He sees us personally, with eyes of love, as if we were the only ones on the planet.
Some of my “heroes of faith” are people who most would pass by and hardly notice, like a face in the crowd. Dee is one of them.
Dee is a woman whose job is the head of maintenance and cleaning at a church where I once served. She does her job with such excellence and humility because she views it as loving service to God. I remember seeing her working hard even when health issues pressed hard against her body. I have told people about her in many settings, reminding them that her personhood and work are every bit as important and valuable to God as the more visible people and positions. God sees her with eyes of love!
In the ancient biblical time there was a woman named Hagar, who was an Egyptian slave to Abraham and his wife Sarai. In their misguided attempt to have an heir, Sarai instructed her husband to have a son by Hagar. Sarai soon despised her and the pregnancy, so Hagar fled from Sarah’s abuse into the desert. I can imagine how alone and unseen Hagar felt, until an angel of God appeared to her with blessings, a promise, and encouragement from God. After this encounter Hagar saw God differently:
“ She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me”.
The God who saw Hagar in her anonymity and anguish.
This is the same God who sees you. None of us are just a face in the crowd. There’s a word that describes how He views us: Beloved.
The dictionary defines the word as “greatly loved…dear to His heart.”
I know for some this word might feel a little uncomfortable, but when we really know this as the reality of our life—that you and I are God’s beloved ones—it unlocks something deep within us. We start living with more love for God and other people.
A long time ago there was a man who came to be known as Brother Lawrence. He was a cook and sandal-maker for a group of monks—not exactly highly-sought after positions! Brother Lawrence, however, came to experience that God saw him and knew him as a beloved one. This propelled him to return this love for God and others. Brother Lawrence not only did his work with dedication, he also wrote about his work as an act of prayer and love to God and others. Here is how once source described him:
“… Despite his lowly position in life…[He] attracted many... He had a reputation for experiencing profound peace and visitors came to seek spiritual guidance from him. The wisdom he passed on to them, in conversations and in letters, would later become the basis for the book “The Practice of the Presence of God” .(Wikipedia)
I am sure that when we arrive in heaven, we will see those who we may have considered “lesser” through human eyes as precious jewels, highly treasured by God for their hearts and love in life. God sees each of us as treasured and unique creations personally fashioned by His own breath and hand. He sees and knows you, just like Dee and Hagar and Brother Lawrence, and calls you his beloved one.
None of us will know the eternal influence we will have on others here on earth, but God loves doing good things through any person who lives in His loving presence— whatever he has placed us.
You are not just a face in the crowd. You are God’s beloved daughter or son.
I wrote a song about this and recorded it with my friend Chelsea Kimball. I invite you to enjoy listening to “Beloved One”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfDrkTlPE7s&list=RDFfDrkTlPE7s&start_radio=1