I EXIST!!

Riding behind a car I saw a license plate that made a big impact on me, it said, “I Exist“. There are times when we all feel invisible, maybe the person with that plate felt it more than most, I don’t know. Sometimes even as adults we play roles that disguise our real feelings because it’s easier to be invisible than to stand and loudly proclaim that “I Exist“, there’s less chance of getting hurt or embarrassed. When we were young we were able to pretend and the real me was invisible, others could only see the character I was playing! I loved to play teacher and nurse and mom and all my baby dolls were named the same thing, Susie. I now have two grown children and four grandchildren; the youngest two are twin boys. One day I went storming into the laundry room in my usual hurry and when I opened the door my grandson, who was eight was in the middle of a big fantasy with his action figures all lined up in front of him. I was going to just ignore him so that he wouldn’t be self-conscious, but he quickly turned around accusingly and said, “Why did you come in here? I had a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door”!I said “Sorry, I didn’t see it!” He put his hands on his hips and answered incredulously, “IT’S INVISIBLE!” No wonder I didn’t see it! It was funny but it makes a point for us as adults. We assume that people know what we are thinking, know that we need help, know that we are in trouble, know that we are hurting to the core, know that we need a little extra word of kindness on occasions, and when we don’t get those things that we are in need of we get our feelings hurt! We put out ‘invisible’ signals and when no one sees them we don’t understand why! Jeremiah 17:10 “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.” God sees and knows our heart and our signs are not invisible to Him!

God already knows what’s going on inside of you, but your, (spouse, friend, loved one, fellow worker) doesn’t. So before you get your feelings hurt because they don’t respond to you the way you need them to do, speak up! Make your needs known to the Lord and to each other, even if you have to have a sign made for yourself that says,  “I EXIST!”