The Gift of Being Seen

Sometimes the smallest moments leave the greatest impressions.

Recently, while working at Publix, I noticed a woman shopping for Instacart. I’d seen her several times over the past week. She was always quiet, focused on her work, and particularly good at bagging groceries.

I mentioned that I’d noticed how efficient she was and suggested that if she ever wanted a different job, she should consider working at Publix.

Her reaction surprised me. She was genuinely excited that someone had noticed her. Later, when she saw me again, she thanked me a second time.

I hadn’t done anything extraordinary. I’d simply noticed something good about another person and told her.

But it meant something to her.

I’ve been thinking about that encounter and the many unexpected ways God has worked throughout my own life. One of the messages of The Road That Changed Me is that even when I couldn’t recognize His presence, God was there. He never stopped seeing me.

Perhaps that’s something we can offer one another in the ordinary moments of life: a reminder that we are seen, that we matter, and that we haven’t been forgotten.

Sometimes the greatest encouragement we can give someone is simply letting them know we see them.