Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” Genesis 16:13, NLT
I had the craziest thing happen to me on my last visit to Animal Kingdom. As I was walking in to attend the Lion King show, a Disney worker suddenly waved me in the opposite direction of the line of people I was following. As I entered a side door, I suddenly ended up on the front row right in the middle of the action. This show is one of my favorites. I love the creativity and beauty. I have seen it many times before, but this viewpoint was completely different than anything I had experienced. I was so close that I could read every expression and hear every word the dancers and performers spoke. This perspective would soon become very impactful…
When it came time for the part of the show where the dancers chose a few kids from the audience to join the celebration dance of the finale, I was surprised and mesmerized as one of the dancers (who looked like a zebra) approached a boy in a wheelchair. He was very apprehensive when she began a conversation with him. However, her great kindness and gentleness soon won him over. Again, I was close enough to hear her conversation and watch this moment play out. She was so incredibly patient and took so much time with him that I thought they might miss the dance! That is when I noticed the look on the boy’s face—and it brought instant tears to my eyes. This boy felt SEEN. And as precious as it was to look at his beaming face, it was even more incredible to look at his mom’s face. Someone truly saw her son. The pride and joy she expressed told me she felt seen, too.
The kindness I witnessed being shown to this boy was inspiring. The words and actions of this cast member brought so much joy. Being seen is POWERFUL. I realized in that moment, that this is exactly the opportunity God gives me every day at school.
Every day, I can use my words to offer kindness and truly see the precious students in my class. I can see beyond the behavior, words, and appearances. I can also ask myself, Do I, like the Disney worker, take the time they need to be seen? And, it’s not only the students that need to be seen at school. I also have the opportunity to see the teachers and staff around me as well. While working with the teachers I am mentoring, it did not take long for me to see that the most important thing I could do for them wasn’t teach them all the strategies and techniques—what mattered most was listening and truly hearing what they were saying. They needed to be seen.
Today, let’s ask ourselves, Do I take the time to bring kindness and truly see the people I work with every day?
One more thing Hagar said was “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”
When I truly see God—His truth, His glory, and His way of life—then I am able to see what He wants me to see in others. As I wrote this, I realized God gave me this moment because He SEES me too. What a gracious God we serve!
Dear Lord, thank you for seeing me. Thank you for the moments You give us that speak right to our hearts. Help me to see others around me and fill me with Your compassion and love for them. Help me to always look for You. In Jesus name, Amen.
Copyright Trish O’Boyle.
Trish is a Christian Educators member and a 4th-grade ELA teacher/instructional mentor in Harmony, Florida.
