Watch This!

“’You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’” Genesis 16:13 NLT

I have a confession: taking kids swimming is one of my least favorite things to do. “What!?!” I hear you asking. It’s true. As much as I love kids, I don’t enjoy being in a pool with them, dodging the cannonballs and splashing. Or what should be a relaxing time lounging poolside with a good book is interrupted by constant safety checks, sunscreen application, hydration/snack breaks, and making sure no one is peeing in the pool. And not peeing in the pool means a trip to the bathroom to peel a wet suit off a wiggle worm. Then there is the incessant adjusting of pint-sized goggles that refuse to stay in place. Amid all this is the approximately 10,000 times you will hear, “Watch this!” for EVERY SINGLE jump in the pool and underwater handstand.

I recall the times teenage me would show up for a babysitting job only to learn I was taking the kids to the pool. The parents always acted like it was some kind of treat. I wasn’t being paid enough for that endeavor! I’m all in favor of kids having their waterlogged fun. I just want someone else to facilitate it.

I feel like we don’t outgrow our “watch this!” behavior. We still crave affirmation and will go to great lengths to get it. I see selfie after selfie on social media. Simply posting isn’t good enough—one must take it a step further by making sure the photo is taken from the correct angle and applying all the filters. Some filter themselves so much that it’s almost a shock to see them in person. But the poster is affirmed because of all the comments that proclaim their beauty.

Why is being seen so important?

Some of us do desire to be seen in the literal sense. We need to be told that we are pretty and talented. But, being seen should be more than people looking at us; it should be people knowing us. Being known creates connection, and feeling like you matter.

There is One, of course, who sees us. And we don’t even have to try to garner His attention by performing pool stunts or having the right images that will gain lots of “likes.” Knowing He sees us can be intimidating because He sees everything. The good, the bad…but it should also bring comfort because His seeing everything means that He knows us—and beyond that, He loves us. He loves me. He loves YOU.

Lord, thank You for seeing us, knowing us, and loving us enough to send Your Son. May we be secure in Your love, and know that we don’t have to “perform stunts” for Your approval. Amen.