Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” John 4:27 (NIV)
Snowdrop flowers appear around a tree in my front yard in March, sometimes even while there is still snow on the ground. They have tiny white drooping flowers. They look very delicate but thrive in the early cold spring days. I have to be intentional to look for these flowers because they are not very big and they are not in a prominent spot in the yard. I don’t pass by them during the day nor do they stand out while I am in the driveway. They are easily overlooked.
I recently sent a card and note to a friend who was traveling on vacation to see her family in California. Her kids were sick most of the time on their vacation. It was not how they planned to relax or to see their family. I sent her a note to encourage her when she returned home. The next time I saw her, she said, “Thanks for your note, I felt seen and heard.”
I think there are many times when we feel invisible and want to be seen and heard. And even more so in this past season of Covid. How much do I miss seeing others every week? Just like I have to be intentional to look for the snowdrop flowers, I need to be intentional to see those friends and people around me that may be overlooked, or invisible, not being seen or heard.
In John 4:27 the disciples questioned Jesus when He approached the woman at the well. She was someone who was invisible to many, someone not acceptable to others. Yet Jesus spoke with her and summarized His time with her as, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about,” in John 4:32. He was referring to His time with the woman as spiritual food for His life.
When you feel invisible as a pastor’s wife, you need to look to Jesus, connect with a friend, or talk with your spouse. And as a pastor’s wife, you can be intentional to see another pastor’s wife that is overlooked or feels invisible and reach out to her. It can be as simple as a text, a call, or sending a card or note to let her know she is “seen and heard.”
“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 (NIV) affirms our worth in God’s sight. We are not invisible to Him!
Dear Lord, when I feel invisible, help me remember how You affirm and value me more than I imagine. You even know the number of hairs on my head. Let me see with Your eyes someone I can reach out to who feels invisible, insignificant, or overlooked. Amen.
