A single oak leaf glides on the breath of dawn like it’s in no particular hurry to meet its final resting place on the icy earth. I watch from the window and reflect on the events of the past day. We’ve been walking through some long months here, and more than anything, I’m desperate for a reminder that the Lord sees me.
I need to know that he sees my efforts as a mom—that these long days of mundane tasks matter in the greater light of eternity. I need to know that he sees me as I consider the next steps in my writing career—that I can trust him to open only the right doors as I revamp manuscripts and update proposals. And if I’m brutally honest, some days, I long for the gentle reminder that God is still at work in the areas where I’ve been waiting on him for years.
Most of us know how it feels to wonder if the Lord has forgotten us. Whether we’re trudging through the dark valley of life-shattering loss or walking through the daily grind of an ordinary season of sameness, we want to know that the Lord sees us and fights for us.
Do you need a gentle reminder that the Lord sees you today?
Let me share a short illustration about God’s provision, and then I’ll invite you to reflect on several truths about the God who never takes his eyes off you.
The Lord Sees You
I didn’t want to grocery shop last night. The task of purchasing food for our ever-growing family is part of the calling of motherhood that feels like drudgery to me. I know some women enjoy the opportunity to get out of the house, browse the sale aisles, and take in the scenes. I’m not one of those women.
I prefer an hour in the woods—even on a blustery January afternoon—over an hour in the local supermarket any day of the week.
As I drove to town last night, all I could think about was the little girl at home who wanted to bake cookies and how in the world I had run out of flour. I never run out of flour. Not only was I out of flour, but we were also down to less than three ounces of milk in the fridge. I was a woman on a mission, and my mission was to refill the staple food sources my family relies on every day.
As I walked into the grocery store, an employee in a blue shirt made eye contact with me and snarkily said, “We close in ten minutes. We’re closing early for cleaning tonight.”
I immediately scratched half my list and began racing through the store like it just might be the last shopping trip of the decade. Literally throwing boxes of cereal, bags of sugar, and bananas into the cart, I forgot a few essentials. My heart broke as I discovered there was no flour on the premises, and I raced for the checkout line in an attempt not to be the unsympathetic shopper lining up with 120 items one minute before closing time.
The Lord Sees Your Frustration
After the groceries were in my vehicle, I decided to head across town for a bag of flour. It was out of my way. The flour would cost more at the pricey store. But Bekah wanted to make cookies, and who was I to stop her?
Unfortunately for the cookie lovers in my home, the second store was also out of flour. I felt defeated and annoyed. But it was getting late, and I needed to get home. And so, the one item I needed most on my list would have to remain on my list.
Arriving home, I grumbled as I carried groceries into the house and began unpacking.
Little hands grappled through the bags of food.
As I went to put away the brown sugar, I pulled out the tin in the pantry. Unexpectedly, a plastic bag fell forward from behind the tin. It was about the size of a football and contained something that probably weighed about five pounds.
“It can’t be!” I gasped.
Much to my chagrin, the hidden bag contained a five-pound sack of perfectly good all-purpose flour.
I had no recollection of putting the flour behind the tin in the cupboard, but there it was.
The Lord Sees Your Struggle
As I sat on the kitchen floor staring at the miraculous five-pound bag, I felt loved. I felt seen by God. The hidden bag of flour felt like God’s way of reminding me that he saw me in my weariness as a mother. He saw my desire to care for my family, and he tenderly provided for me. It was just a bag of flour, but the bag of flour represented something much bigger. It reminded me that God will provide for my smallest longings as well as my greatest needs. Nothing is beyond his reach, and he cares about the details of my life.
Friend, the Lord sees your struggle today.
And your struggle might be far greater than running out of flour.
You might be navigating a loss you never fathomed facing. (Read here if this is you.)
Your dream was dashed, you lost a loved one, or you feel alone and forgotten. You feel like no one in the world cares about you.
God has not taken his eye off you.
He loves you with an everlasting love. He can take your deepest pain and use it for good.
Your role is to keep your heart soft, press into his love, and let him carry you.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay
