3 Points to Ponder
- Being seen is not only physically seeing, but seeing the value in each person. Who are you grateful for today and what do you value about them?
- As a child of God, everyone has value, but sometimes our brokenness blinds us. Who needs you to see them with fresh eyes this week?
- There is enormous power in the reciprocity of seeing one another. It compounds when done in love, sparking abundant life and reminding us we are alive. What is one thing you can do this week to spark abundant life around you?
2 Quotes to Share
“Never underestimate the power of being seen.” -Brene Brown
“And scanning my handiwork, I realized I did not make the garden beautiful. Rather, I just cleared away everything that had kept the beauty from being seen. And I thought, should we not do the same with our souls?” -Craig D. Lounsbrough
1 Story of Impact
On Tuesday, September 12, Diviniel passed away at his Many Hands built home, near the airport in Pignon, Haiti. His son, Joslin, has physical disabilities due to an illness and is one of our Saturday gate guards, so we’ve known this family for some time. (We did a video feature on Joslin, an amazing testimony, and definitely worth your watch.) Being that Diviniel was materially poor and also had physical disabilities, he would be easy to overlook. In many cases, these people die in obscurity. I’ve witnessed someone with his lot in life die and later that day, be haphazardly thrown into a hole with no one attending the funeral. To me, it is one of the cruelest slights of life, dying alone, unseen by those around you. To my joy, this was not the case for Diviniel. About eight years ago, we started intentionally seeing people with lower leg disabilities, starting with the gift of mobility through a Personal Energy Transportation (PET) cart. This was built upon, creating groups of people growing food with raised garden beds and learning from one another. Soon, little associations sprung up among the people with PET carts. At the funeral on Wednesday, our Director of Agronomy was one of the main speakers because he had a personal relationship with Diviniel. Attending the funeral were many physically disabled people, now friends because of their connection. A beautiful community has been built out of the brokenness, all because of intentionally seeing people. Who needs to be seen in your world? Maybe it is your spouse, who has been feeling unappreciated or looked over. Or a coworker, who feels out of touch with the team or disconnected to the vision. Maybe a pastor or leader, who feels isolated and torn because no matter what they say or do, it never seems to be enough for divided sides. Without thinking too hard, who comes to mind for you? What can you do to help them feel seen today? I’m thankful for the life of Diviniel, as he had an infectious smile and a joy for life. He was an older man, who lost his wife many years before. During one stop at his house, I asked him, “Are you married?” His response was priceless… “Not yet!” And there lies the beauty, as we saw each other that day and we are both better because of it.
