Thanks for Remembering my Name

   ​God sees you.  Regardless of what the world is telling you or how you feel, God sees each and every person.  From time to time, I think we all tend to forget this truth.  However, imagine not even knowing this truth. 
   I work for a nonprofit organization that serves individuals who are hoping to get their lives back on track.  The people who often come to the doors are those who have drug and alcohol addictions or have been recently released from prison.  The one factor that unites them all is that they have nowhere to go and they are hoping to transform their lives and get out of the dark places they are in.  
   One day, within the first few weeks of my job, one of the residents of the program said something that really struck me.  Towards the end of my interaction with this resident, he said "Thanks for remembering my name."  I was taken aback and somewhat confused as to why I was being thanked for something so simple.  After reflecting on that interaction for days, and even weeks after, it hit me.  It is likely that this resident often feels unseen, unheard, and forgotten about.  This is why simply remembering his name was such a big deal to him.  It was not long after that I heard similar comments from other residents.  Another remark I heard was "You have a crazy memory.  You remember my name.  You probably only see me once a day and you remember."  A third comment that comes to mind is "I can't believe you still remember my name."
   All of these comments have allowed me to reflect on the truth I shared in the first sentence of this post.  God sees every single person, even when the world around them fails to do so.  Many of these people go through their days feeling like no one really cares or sees them.  If they feel unseen by the people around them, it is likely that they feel unseen by God.  This made me think about how I view every person I encounter.  Am I making God known to them through my words and actions?  Am I helping them to remember that they are created in the image and likeness of God and that He sees them every moment of every day?  If the people around them cannot see the dignity and worth they have, how will they believe that the God of the universe sees them?  The first step has been realizing that I need to let God use me to make him known.  It is simple, but definitely not easy.  My prayer is that I can become better each day at sharing God’s love and that every person will realize that they are clearly seen, fully known, and deeply loved by God.