The social media webinar sounded intriguing, and since I didn’t have time to go to class, the fact that I could take it online made it extra attractive.
I was on a tight book deadline at the time, having spent the day with my fingers glued to my keyboard. Frantically trying to make a deadline, I was still in pajamas with just barely combed my hair and, of course, no make-up, except for mascara smudges from rubbing my eyes. (Next time you think a writer’s life is glamorous…) I looked rough. Rough!
At the appointed time for the webinar, I logged on. The content was as awesome as I’d anticipated, and it would be so helpful for what I do. But 15 minutes into the live webcast, I looked at the beautiful and perfectly groomed hosts. My weary brain clicked and in a moment of epic panic, I muttered, “Please tell me they can’t see me on this webinar!”
What made it worse was that the hosts were good friends. But there was a ray of hope: I looked so bad that maybe they wouldn’t recognize me!
Then my brain kicked into higher gear, and I remembered from hosting my own webinars that just the hosts are shown. However, just to be on the safe side, I spent the rest of the webinar with the camera on my computer covered up so there was no chance of my being seen.
Our lives are much the same way. Sometimes there are things about us that we don’t want others to see. Maybe it’s something we’ve done wrong that we want to keep hidden. Maybe it’s heartache and scars from our past that nobody knows about. Maybe we just don’t want the world to know that we’re a complete mess…at least in our own eyes.
But God sees. Nothing is hidden from Him. He sees when we do wrong, and it hurts Him because He wants better for us. He sees our heartaches, and it hurts Him because He loves us.
He sees our scars from the past. He knows the circumstances that put them there—but He also sees the big picture, and He knows that none of our life experiences go to waste—that He can use all those moments for His glory.
He sees our insecurities and how we often belittle ourselves—and that bothers Him because when He looks at us, He sees His beloved child.
I’m so grateful for a God who truly sees me—even when I’m a hot mess—and that He always loves me. Yes, even when I’m in my pajamas with half-combed hair and mascara-smudged eyes.
