Unnoticed at Christmas

"She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” -Genesis 16:13  

Do you ever feel unnoticed at Christmas...

When you search for hours for a gift for someone that gets opened, glanced at, and tossed aside…never one simple "thank you"?

When you see so many spending quality time with family and you have a family member that you miss with every aching breath?

When you spend days shopping for and cooking a meal that draws complaints because this person wanted this, that person wanted that, and none of "this" or "that" is found on the table?

When everyone around you seems to be crazy with merriment and you feel just plain crazy from the stress of the season and life in general?

When you so desire to feel the "joy to the world", "peace on earth", "goodwill toward men", but there is a situation, maybe many situations, causing you so much heartache that those feelings that the songs describe feel nothing short of impossible?

It is so easy to feel unnoticed, unappreciated, unloved in ways both tiny and enormous at Christmastime …scratch that…at ANY time. Somehow the Christmas season can make those feelings bigger than any crowd at the mall, over-the-top lights display, or tree at Rockefeller Center.

How grateful I am that when humans in their imperfect ways forget or choose not to notice us…our efforts, our triumphs, our failures, our pain…our perfect God never takes His eyes off of His children. He knows all. He sees all. He notices all.

There is no better example of this than that very first Christmas that we have all heard so much about.

God noticed Mary. She most likely was not Prom Queen of Bethlehem High School. Her clothes probably were not the finest money could buy. Though she was extraordinarily beautiful inside, we have no account in scripture of what she looked like. But God noticed her and chose her for a task that would bless her, challenge her, and change her in ways she could never fathom.

God noticed Joseph. You would think God would have chosen an earthly king to be the earthly father of the Prince of Peace. But He noticed Joseph, a carpenter with more faith, obedience, and love than any amount of riches, and chose him for a task that would require more heart and humility than human wealth could buy.

God noticed the shepherds. The hard-working guys, men who were not afraid to get their hands dirty, not wealthy but earning an honest living. God noticed them tending their sheep and sent an angel of the Lord to announce that the Lamb of God had been born.

God noticed the magi. Men who were wealthy and powerful, as well as wise and prayerful. You can be  poor with no social standing to speak of, rich with more money and influence than you know what to do with, or anywhere in between, and God can and will use you if you allow Him to do so. These men knew where the true power in the world lay, and they laid their riches at His feet.

God noticed King Herod. What??? You mean that villain of the story who plotted to murder the Savior whose birth we rejoice over? Yep, him. God saw Herod and his evil plan. Jesus was meant to die for our sins, but there was no way it was happening before God divined it to come to pass. God notices us whether we are submitting to His will or scheming to interfere with it.

You know what I love about this? All of these people that God noticed, they noticed Him too. Granted some had angels in their bedrooms and offices at work to help them pay attention, they did not turn away from what was revealed to them. Even Herod, who did not notice God and His plan for the amazing blessing they are and worked against them, realized that there was a monumental power at work around him.

So here are my questions for us all, not only during Christmastime, but then too:

1) Will we remember that our God notices us? That He sees our pain, cares about our efforts, and wants to walk us through the good, the bad, and the ugly of this life?

2) Will we notice Him? Will we praise Him for who He is and all that He does? Will we spend time with Him in prayer, in worship, in the reading of His Word? Will we look into His heart and marvel at the unlimited grace, mercy, strength, wisdom, peace, and love to be found there?

3) Will we notice other people? The ones who are hurting, lonely, unappreciated, looked-over, in need? The ones like us, not like us, the ones we don't like? Will we see them as God sees them and seek to meet their needs however we can?

Let's take notice, friends. Because it is nothing short of amazing how He notices us. Just like He saw the residents of Bethlehem that night so long ago, He still sees us. The poor, the rich, the faithless, the faithful, the world in need of a Savior. 

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for noticing us. Please help us to remember to notice You this season and every season of life. May we also notice a hurting world around us that is in desperate need of You and be faithful to take You to them however we can. Thank you for Jesus, for the manger, for the cross, for the empty grave, and for His residence in our hearts. We love you, Lord. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen!