“Seen, Known and Loved”

Everyone wants to be accepted. Part of our problem is that we all come into life with some degree of ‘stuff’ that prevents us from being welcomed or invited into certain circles because there are those folks who feel the need to pick and choose their ‘friends’ based on what they bring to the relationship. And if we’re honest, no one qualifies. No one meets the criteria or satisfies the pre-requisites.

And yet, we become fixated on the judgement of other equally flawed individuals to determine our ‘worth’ or ‘value’ to be considered acceptable. Rather than simply moving on without them.

To be accepted means that a relationship is formed. Who you are is welcomed. How you are is secondary.

Sometimes when we become involved with other people, we find out that the relationship is just not developing well. In fact, we may find it dies before it even gets started. Or, we think that all is good until one day we discover it really isn’t and it is slowly dying. Being known in a relationship means that you’ve trusted yourself to the other person and revealed who you are — the good, the bad and the ugly — and that transparency is either embraced or it is shunned, at which point the relationship either thrives and flourishes or it wilts and crumbles.

Loving others can only happen when you have experienced love because you cannot give what you do not have. Let that sit with you for a bit.

Perhaps you are in a situation right now where you are just feeling like you want to give up entirely on relationships because you’re in the middle of a nightmare or a chaotic mess. You might be thinking, “What’s the point?” Maybe disappointment has left you feeling that you cannot trust anyone.

I get you, Sweet Friend. Seasons of “GOD, I just don’t understand why this went sideways… what could possibly come out of all of this?” can leave you feeling hopeless and defeated. But I’m here to tell you that there is Someone Who has always seen you, has always known you and has and will always love you.

GOD took the time to design you with such love and care that He continually looks at you with eyes that say, “You’re worth dying for!” There is nothing you nor I could do to possibly make Him love us any less. And there is nothing we could do to make Him love us any more than He does at this very moment.

You are seen. And He refuses to take His Eyes off of you.

You are known because He created you with intentionality and precisely the way you are (personality, creativity, curiosity, compassionate, humorous, intelligent, bold, outspoken — the list is endless) to do great and amazing things that were determined and planned before the world began.

You are loved with all that is packed into your unique self because you are an original. And He trusts you to do great things with the gifts and talents that are planted inside of you. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done. Jesus doesn’t hold any of that against you. In fact, you don’t have to get yourself ‘cleaned up’ before meeting up with Him — He does that for you!

There are very few guarantees in life, Friend. But one thing is certain: GOD Who created you wants to get so close to you that you can live a life realizing how valuable you truly are. He’s got incredible things planned for you to experience and a relationship with Him that will blow your mind! And the best part is that it doesn’t end here on earth — it’s a forever relationship. You can’t get that kind of guarantee from any human being. Jesus makes all the difference.

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me,O God.
    They cannot be numbered! Psalm 139:13-17 NLT

I pray that if you had the slightest doubt about your worth, you’ve considered how valuable you really are in the Eyes of the Creator of the universe. Nothing else matters. Nothing else compares.

I love you to Heaven and Back, Girlfriend ~

LindaRJohnson, TitusTwo Visionary