“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1-2).

Last week I had a frustrating experience at a restaurant. I went inside to pick up a to-go salad. I’ve done this before, so I knew to go to the special counter for to-go orders. I was pleased as I approached the counter because there was an employee standing beside a large bag I assumed was mine. Great, I thought, I’ll be in and out in no time at all. Just as I got to the counter, she—without making eye contact with me (and I don’t know how she could have missed me)—left the counter to go speak with another employee. It seemed like they talked a good five minutes, and it appeared to be a casual conversation. They had to have seen me, but never acknowledged me, a customer! A third employee happened to walk out and asked, “Have you been waited on?” When I replied “no” they said, “I’ll go get someone for you.” And I finally got waited on. I know that’s not a big deal. But how hard would it have been for that first employee, or the second one, to have acknowledged my presence and to have done the same thing?

Now, I don’t want you to think I’m a prima donna and that everyone should just stop what they are doing when I walk in the door. Not at all. In fact, I’m typically one to assume that even if we have met before that you probably won’t remember me, so I’ll usually re-introduce myself just to be sure and to not cause any embarrassment. And when someone does remember me that I have only recently met, it makes me especially happy.

I think about this because I am trying to be sure that I don’t offend others by my lack of acknowledgement or recognition of them. This could easily happen because I tend to get absorbed in my thoughts sometimes and am not aware of my surroundings. It used to happen more frequently when I was too vain to wear my glasses. When my husband, then my boyfriend, and I would walk across campus, he would say, “Why didn’t you wave back at that person.” I’d have to say I didn’t see them (because I didn’t have my glasses on). While maybe that’s a good excuse, it didn’t make the person I ignored feel any better. I am trying to pay more attention, because while my acknowledging someone might not make an overall difference in their life, to be acknowledged or recognized could make a difference in their day. At the very least I could spare them the negative feeling of having been ignored or brushed off.

I also write about this because I am so thankful to know that our God, the Creator of the universe, divinely omniscient and omnipresent, the Alpha and the Omega, always recognizes me. He knows me. He loves me. He is interested in me in that He always knows what I am doing and thinking. He cares about me and He cares for me. He listens whenever I speak to Him. God not only acknowledges me, He never fails to recognize me as His own. He calls me by name. What a great and good God we serve!

I love the story about the woman in Matthew 9:20-22. When she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, he turned and saw her, and spoke to her with compassion.

Our challenge is to bring praise to God by doing likewise with one another. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7).

In Christ,

Judy