Can You See Me?

This week our students started a new series, The Invisibles.  This series examines the challenges that many of us have faced with feeling invisible at certain points of our lives, seeing others who may be invisible to us right now, and gaining an understanding that we have never been invisible to God.  Each week includes a discussion question/point that our parents and their students are encouraged to wrestle through together.  The first week’s discussion point reads as follows, “Describe a time when you felt invisible.”

Invisibility has often times been a power that superheroes possesses that has intrigued me.  I have thought about the possibilities of observing things without anyone knowing you are there, being able to remove yourself from a tense situation without anyone knowing, and several other interesting things.  However, I found in my life, the fact to be true that you don’t have to be a superhero to have the power of invisibility.  In fact, many people walking around today have this very power as they walk by us without really connecting to us or in fact to anyone.

I think if we examined our lives there have been times that we all have felt invisible.  There have been those times that we walked into a new place and desired a connection only to see others moving busily through their routines and completely ignoring us.  There are probably times when we have wished for someone to come up and talk to us but deep down were afraid that someone would because that would mean that we would actually have to talk to them.  Personally, I think that our culture has made us so accustomed to feeling invisible, overlooked, or left out that we are immune to really noticing it anymore.  But what happens to us when someone does reach out and connect with us?  What happens when someone notices that we are not invisible but rather that we have a unique and special story to tell?  What happens when someone looks at our heart rather than passes a quick glance our direction?

For me there is one story that I shared with our students this past week of an opportunity that presented itself for me to take notice of someone else and listen to his story.  A few years ago, I was serving with a group of students and adults at a homeless shelter in West Virginia as a part of a mission trip experience.  After our time of serving it was time for us to leave and head back to the church where we were staying, however I noticed a young man out of the corner of my eye who struck me as someone who needed something else.  I could have left with our group and missed out on his story but something (rather Someone, meaning God) made me stay.  I found myself wondering over to the bed beside him and sat down across from him.  Upon doing so we made small talk about his situation, family, and life.  I found myself almost in tears as he shared about an illness he had that caused his family to leave him, which include three beautiful children.  I listened to his story about how he was out of work, how he had served our country faithfully in the army, and so much more about his struggles.  Throughout the conversation, I found myself crying with him as he shared his hurt so openly and honestly.  This young man had been invisible for so long to so many people, that my heart just broke thinking about the hardships that he had endured.  Without really thinking about it, I started to share about my faith and asked Jeremy if he would like to know more about a God who loves him and wants a relationship with him?  He looked at me with tears in his eyes and said “YES!”  I grabbed a couple of other adults and we started praying for Jeremy right then and there.  After we finished he looked up at me with tears in his eyes and simply said “Thank you.”  We made several offers to him to reconnect with us while we were there and he said he would be alright.  As I went to bed that night I realized that God had seen Jeremy all along and he was never truly invisible to others even though he thought he was.  The next morning Jeremy showed up at the church we were staying at which proved to be a wonderful connection for him as he served alongside of us, began worshipping there, and eventually got a job helping him get back on his feet.  I lost touch with Jeremy after our time together but I often times find myself thinking of him and praying for him wherever he is.  I wonder how my life would have been different if I hadn’t stopped to listen to his story while seeking to connecting him to God’s Story.

When is a time in your life you have felt invisible?  I’m sure that many of us can share stories of our own personal hurt and pain when we were overlooked but what about the times we overlook others?  My challenge to you this week is to find someone who may be invisible to others, and simply take time to listen to their story.