He handed me the phone so I could listen to the message, explaining that he thought at first the call was for me. It wasn’t. It was for him. And on the other end of that voicemail was a friend I’ve missed dearly this past year. No need to call back, she said. She just wanted to let my husband know that they had seen us walk into the church, and to thank him for showing up. How much it would mean to the family to know we were there, that their daughter’s teacher had come.
I cried.
I still cry when I think about it.
Because in this crazy online world I’m immersed in, where the new comparison is comparing how little you compare yourself to others, and words like tribe and platform and reach are part of my everyday conversations and every move feels marketed, I was reminded what it really means to be noticed.
We tried not to be noticed, if I’m honest. Saying good-bye to a man who was a friend, a parenting mentor, who taught us what it meant to love and give and serve – it was hard – and we slid into seats in the balcony, quietly joining to sing “It Is Well” with the packed sanctuary below.
But they saw us – and she took time to tell us that we were seen, and we were appreciated.
It makes me wonder how much I really take time to see – to truly see what’s going on around me and who God has put in front of me. Who are the people today that I can reach out to and say “No need to call back – I just wanted to tell you how much it means that you showed up.”
- The ones who serve faithfully.
- The ones who encourage.
- The ones who speak truth and wisdom into our lives.
- The ones who offer playdates and drop off lunch and check in to see how that last doctor’s appointment went.
- The ones who make you laugh when your heart most needs a friend.
- The ones who cry with you.
- The ones who invite you in when it would be easier to make excuses.
I would rather be noticed for quietly honoring God than loudly promoting myself. Because at the end of it all, the lives that my words and my work touch? I want them, like the life of our dear friend, to leave a legacy that lasts.
This week, will you take time to notice someone, to really see what they do and the impact it has on your life? And will you tell them about it? Not to get anything in return, but simply to say “thank you.”
Amen. Thank you for a thought-provoking and inspiring post. For me it’s a balancing act, because it’s more natural for me to live in the shadows, but I know that’s not what God wants either. Searching my heart for someone who needs to be noticed for who they truly are today.
Love this! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in my own little world that I don’t care enough to really pay attention to the people around me. Thanks for the great reminder!
What a beautiful and needed post. Right after I read it I went grocery shopping determined to “notice.” I thanked the cashier and baggers by name and helped a disabled woman load her cart. I really appreciate the reminder and will pin this for future reference.
Love this! Such a timely reminder for me as we go through some “stuff” this week and to see the people who have reached out to us. Makes me slow down to see what others are facing in their world!
Crystal,
Beautiful and very thought provoking post!! I have some people to say “thank you” to…
Blessings and ((hugs)),
Bev
I’ve been noticing a theme lately in all things blogosphere: busy-ness. We are too busy to pray, to notice, to love, to show up, to dream, to play, to follow through, to [insert just about anything here]. It takes time to stop and notice. It takes time to serve faithfully, encourage, speak truth, offer playdates, laugh, cry, and invite. So, as I read this, I kept thinking…the problem with both the giving and receiving seems to be time/busy-ness. Because…I know some AMAZING women whom I felt dropped the ball on me when I divorced suddenly. No one really there to laugh or cry or invite. Why? Because they had lives. Just because my life fell apart did NOT mean their lives did. They kept right on working and serving and cooking and volunteering. And in that, I’ve decided not be upset with them, but rather to reflect on how my life keeps rolling in the face of “broken” or “mess” in others’ lives. Do I stop and invite when my house is a mess and my kids need picked up from baseball or dance after I’ve worked all day? Or, do I think of it, and let it go? I am beginning to think so many of us would benefit from simply saying no…choosing free time without guilt…creating margin so that we can stop and smell the roses – stop and notice the friend slipping into the sanctuary…stop and say, How are you? It’s just been a theme lately. Women feel so pressured to be all and do all that allowing “down time” seems akin to laziness. I pray we swim against the culture and toward the Savior.
It seems that often time, people are used to getting “noticed” for when things are going wrong…when something is not going right, or when we need them to fix something.
Thanks for challenging us to notice the good…and then to let people know! — Not just to think it, but to say it!
Thank you for the challenge :). All to often I think positive thoughts about people but never share them–how selfish of me.
My heart!
How I so get this. I wanna write. I write all the time so I wanted to get a website done. Pulled together the cash so, it’s a matter of time. But I get you. Build a tribe. Community. Yo! It’s becoming science and metrics. And that’s okay, really. It’s just that I blogged before and it did well for all the wrong reasons. So i’m at that place again before the referee blows the whistle and it’s time to dive. Thinking. Weighing. I want to be a writer who cares. To seek connections for all the right reasons.
So blessed by your writing. When does the course on designing printables and artwork start?
xo
Hey friend 🙂 It runs April 1 – 30!
Thanks. Waiting. Been trying out Canva. Not yet wrapped my head around it. Studied ahead