This is a tough one because so many of us I don't think want to accept that we do this, nor accept that we allow others to do this to us. Sadly, people that are often closest to us treat us as if we are invisible, and many of us are at fault too. We sometimes look right at them but miss who they really are. We can be with them in person but not even notice their needs and concerns, failing to see what's underneath. Take a second and think about your key relationships-do you really see these people, the ones you think you are so close to? I mean do you really see them, their needs, their feelings, their dreams, their fears, their passions...their heart?
Sometimes we get so caught up in our own life and our own urgencies that we are blind to those around us. We let these things take over our thoughts and consume ourselves with it. I just did this recently, I was so concerned with all the things piling up on me that I even jumped to conclusions of things. I literally felt like leaving my life for just a second to get a breath-but then I remember that everything will still be there when I get back. You can't run from problems, but you should never let them make you blind to those around you. Don't let these things make you bitter-sometimes it may take a breakdown to refocus on what is really important, but try hard to remember someone else always has it worse and put everything into perspective for yourself. There is always a reason and a worth to whats going on in your life so take your energy and try and embrace those instead.
A story that came to mind when reading today was the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. The woman was a Samaritan, and Jesus was a Jew. In the Bible we are told that Jews do not associate with Samaritans, but we also were taught that Jesus loves us all and he focused on hearts, not prejudices. Jesus asked the woman to give him a drink, she replied that she was not worthy. She was a Samaritan after all, so who was she to give him a drink? As John 4:10 states Jesus said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." So she did ask Him for this living water because she realized He had the power to save her. It goes on that Jesus knew everything about this woman because He saw her heart. Now of course He is God and we are not so we cannot see into people's hearts the way He does, but in Jesus we have a model for relationships. Jesus dismissed all distractions to notice her and speak to her, he saw that what she said on the surface was not what truly rested deep in her heart, and He chose to be all there for her. We need to see people as Jesus did. Maybe there is someone at your workplace, whom you see everyday but you've never really seen them. Maybe there is a family member whom you see all the time, but you've never really seen them. And what I think could be the worse is maybe you've taken someone for granted, looking past them and not really looking at them.
Think about your key relationships-maybe they have become stagnate because you have been so consumed with your own life that you haven't stopped long enough to see the need in the other person's eyes. Maybe you haven't expressed your own needs to others and as in the story, Jesus expressed his need first (the water) and when you do that it is like giving permission for others to do the same. If you care to be a good friend, a true significant other, or a loving family member, then you'll care enough to look and listen for what someone is trying to say underneath it all.
I think about Nelson Mandela-he was invisible for years before he became president. As a president he made sure to greet everyone who served him the same way he would greet a head of state, genuinely asking how they were doing and remembering their names. He had been treated as invisible for so long that he didn't want to make anyone else feel that way.
Challenge for today: Stop and take a second look at the people you care about most today. You may be surprised when you stop seeing only what you want to see and begin to view them with new eyes and a sensitive heart. Do one better and let them know that they will never be invisible to you-it may seem silly but that person will appreciate it more than you'd know.
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