I opened up my Bible next to a window overlooking our backyard and was about to delve into the Gospel of Mark, when I looked up to see a baby deer carefully step across the grassy slope behind our house.
The rising sun was painting pinks and purples across the horizon as another baby soon bounded past. Twins!
Then their mama appeared. She had been watching them all along. They wandered over to some pine trees and nibbled at the needles on the dry cold ground, and then turned back to the window I was watching from.
They knew I was there. Our eyes connected and they stood and stared at me for several minutes before I waved and wished them a good day. They slowly sauntered along to the nearby forest. I was bemused.
Usually when I saw this young deer family, they were unaware of my presence. But this time, they watched me. My four children later commented that maybe we are really the zoo to the outdoor creatures, and I had to chuckle with my agreement.
God sees us
Knowing our activity level, I am certain we miss a lot of watchful eyes around us. Regardless of who was watching whom, we were all seen that morning.
I, by the deer. The deer, by me. And all of us? By God above. “He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous” (Psalm 11:4–5 NIV).
The encounter reminded me once again of how all souls long to be seen. We long for eye, heart, and soul connection with others. On a deeper level, I think we long to feel seen and known.
Here is the beautiful part of this indwelt longing in our hearts: We are seen and known—by the Lord, our creator.
God knows us
We were carefully knit together. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:13–14).
As believers, our names are written in heaven. “…but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). When we believe in Jesus, we are justified. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
As we lean into these truths of who we are, we realize we no longer need to prove ourselves by shouting and posting and waving our accomplishments in the air. We can rest and feel satisfied knowing the God of the universe sees us, knows us, and also chooses each of us for a specific part of his grand plan.
God chooses us
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John 15:16).
When we find our worth in hiding God’s word in our hearts and spending time with him in the hidden places of our homes, we find peace deep in our hearts as we live for him. Our time parenting and loving our kids at all hours of the day is no longer mundane, but seen by God above.
And as we meet his eyes, we begin to receive more wisdom and direction from him and less from the world. “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight…” (1 Corinthians 3:19).
As our relationship with him grows, our relationship with the world’s discontentment falls away. We find our worth in who we are in God, not in what we do in the world.
We feel content knowing we are seen and known by a supernatural God who has chosen us for greater things than this world has to offer. Parenting is one of those greater things.
Look up
Parenting is soul-loving care that changes the world when we pour our hearts into it. Every time we pray over our kids and invite the Lord into our conversations in our living rooms, in the car, and around the dinner table, we are inviting eternal hope into their lives.
And while we don’t make our children believe in Christ (John 6:44), we can be a part of drawing our kids’ eyes up to the Lord—but first our own eyes must be on him.
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44).
Moms and dads, I pray today that you will look up and open up God’s word. I pray that time with the Lord will become or continue to be a part of your daily rhythm so that you will truly feel seen and known as you realize God’s deep love for you and your family.
I pray you feel seen as you walk into hard conversations with your kids when you are exhausted and just want to go to sleep (pray for words—and fire up the coffee maker!).
I pray you feel seen as you scrub stacks of dishes and switch over the never-ending laundry loads (pray for stamina—and pop in the ear buds!).
I pray you feel seen as you sit with your child melting down before you (pray for patience—and take deep breaths along with your little one!).
Look up! You are seen. You are known. You are chosen.
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