Why You Are Valuable

Never (Ever) Alone.

 

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:14-15

 

During my last weeks in Munich I was shopping in the German equivalent to Costco.  The check out lines were long and snaked back through the aisles of food.  I was waiting in the cross section and trying to leave a throughway for passing shoppers, when I saw a man begin to “Y” ahead into my lane.

I caught his eye and politely mentioned, “I’m in this line too”.

To which he sarcastically replied, “ANNND?”

I hadn’t expected such a condescending response.  And all that German speaking Heather could come up with was, “I was here first”.

“Well, isn’t that wonderful news for you!”, He said, and then turned to loudly update his wife, and everyone other person nearby, on how very happy I must be.  He practically started a round of applause for my checkout line accomplishment.

I just looked at him, stunned.

As I awkwardly stood there while we finished the remainder of our wait, you know what I thought?  This guy has no idea who I am.  If he knew who I was – what I’m about – he would never treat me this way.

Do you ever feel like most of your life is lived interacting with people who don’t know you?  The vast majority of people I “spend my day with” don’t know that I’m a wife who holds down the fort for our family while my husband works insane hours all over the world to run a company.  They don’t know I’m a mom whose boys have recently employed the phrase “you’re not my best friend” as a response to anything I ask of them.  They didn’t see me crying in the kitchen because a song came on that unexpectedly connected with my heart this morning.  They don’t understand how sold out I am to Christ and what humble path of correction He has me on right now.

To them, I’m just some tall American woman who apparently deserves a standing ovation for getting in line first.

And it’s not just strangers.  Co-workers, church members, fellow school parents, baristas who have our coffee order memorized, and, often, even members of our family, get a mere glimpse of something in us… but how much do they truly understand?

Being KNOWN (heard, valued, seen) is a basic human desire – woven intentionally into our character.  Yet, we can be standing surrounded by adoring fans and feel overlooked, misunderstood, fake.  Alone.  Whether we are single, married, parents, barren, young, old, white, black (German, Spanish, Asian), friendly, bitter, male or female–we ALL feel it.

Yet, there is an exception to this unfortunate paradigm.  When we invite Jesus into our heart, we get much more than the “mere” promise of forgiveness, life eternal, and the residing presence of the Holy Spirit.  We get to be known… by HIM.

  • I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.  John 10:14
  • But whoever loves God is known by God.  I Corinthians 8:3
  • For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  I Corinthians 13:12
  • But now that you know God–or rather are known by God–how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?  Galatians 4:9

In my running days (a little too long ago), I went through a period where I had one song on repeat.  It’s not my normal upbeat playlist chosen to keep me motivated, but I needed these words to stick.  Today, when I hear it, I’m transported back to those open fields, arms stretched wide as the truth of these lyrics settled deep into my spirit.  The simple title: Known

Father, you see me as I am — I breath that in —  You know me as I am… as I was… as I will be.  You have always (always always) known my heart.

The greatest struggle most people have is, ultimately, loneliness.  It’s crippling.  Medication is prescribed to numb the pain of it.  Most of us carry the weight like it’s been sewn into our legs.  We feel abandoned and insignificant.  We feel forgotten or unworthy.  We feel undervalued and misunderstood.

But this is a lie from the pit of hell.  A tool used by the one who has seen first-hand the immeasurable value of being known by God our Father.

We are not alone.  We are the antithesis of alone.  We are so known, so valued, so SEEN that there is nowhere to hide even if we wanted it:

Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?  Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?  Says the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:24

So, why don’t we embrace this?  For me, its the ongoing fear of making myself vulnerable and the embarrassment of transparency.  But I – we – have to learn (oh, when will we learn?) that God roots for us, envelopes us, forgives us, and has great plans just because we’re… us.

Don’t you know: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge“?? Psalm 91:4

He sees you there too, under the feathers of those mighty wings.  And He can handle you – all of it. He will cry with you.  He will rejoice in you.

You are known… deeply and perfectly.  Rest in the full face of His glory and grace as His eyes lock on yours.

Seen.

Always.


As I dance around my home with tears streaming down my face, I am praying that this truth will reside in you.  That it will take root and give you defining strength.  That you will bask in the heat of His presence.  And that every lie the enemy has told your heart, every attempt he’s made to de-value the priceless piece you are, will be wiped from the tender home of your spirit.  Stand, lay, run in the shelter, freedom, and space that His wings afford.

Audrey Assad – KNOWN (Lyrics Below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9sm1gQlJPs

Known

As the dew falls on the blade
You have touched all this fragile frame
And as a mother knows her baby’s face
You know me, You know me

As the summer air within my chest
I have breathed You deep down into my breast
And as You know the hairs upon my head
Every thought and every word I’ve said
Every thought and every word I’ve said

Savior, You have known me as I am
Healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be in the morning, in the evening
You have known me, yeah, You know me

Oh, and as the exhilaration of autumn’s bite
Oh, You have brought these tired bones to brilliant life
And as the swallow knows, she knows the sky
This is how it is with You and I
Oh, this is how it is with You and I

Savior, You have known me as I am
Healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be in the morning, in the evening
You have known me, yeah, You know me

From the fall of my heart to the resurrection of my soul
You know me, God, and You know my ways
In my rising and my sitting down
You see me as I am, oh, see me as I am

And as a lover knows his beloved’s heart
All the shapes and curves of her even in the dark
Oh, You have formed me in my inward parts
And You know me, You know me, yes

Savior, You, You have known me as I am
Oh, healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be in the morning, in the evening
You have known

You have known me, in the morning, in the evening
You’ve known me, God
In the morning, in the evening You have known me
Yeah, You’ve know me

You have always known me
You know me, God, You have known me
You have always known my heart

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  • Giovanni Marquez May 25, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    Heather may you and your family be guided by the Holy Spirit in your new venture back to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
    Giovanni & Grace Marquez

    • Heather Yoder May 25, 2015 at 8:51 pm

      Thank you, that is probably the most needed prayer we can have right now. I’ll take it and join you in it. We spent some time with your sweet Spanish family and it wasn’t nearly enough. I wish we had a week of dinners together. MAYBE one day you’ll be a part of one of them. =)

  • Phyllis Donley May 25, 2015 at 4:02 pm

    Oh Heather, thanks so much for this today. I am a hurting mother and yes people who think they know me don’t really know me at all. I have a hole in my heart and a limp in my step as today 21 years ago I lost my dear son Josh. If God had not known me as he did, I doubt very much that I could be typing these words today. We all go through very lonely times in our life and the truth has to take root in our souls. This was very inspiring to me today and I say ONWARD. Thanks Heather

    • Heather Yoder May 25, 2015 at 4:26 pm

      Dear Phyllis,

      In the more than 60 posts that I’ve written, I have never felt a heavier burden than I did when writing this one. Over and over I had the sense that God was sharing a part of His heart with mine… He had a plan for this post and I knew there was at least one “someone” in particular He was writing it for. It literally brought me to my knees again and again.

      I knew Josh. And I’ve always admired your family from a distance. I have no words of my own to bring you comfort right now. I won’t pretend they would help if I did. But I believe with all my heart that God has things to tell you and that this post is yours. He’s holding you. Holding you. Holding you. Let Him speak to you today, He’s been waiting…

      Thank you for the great honor of spending some of this anniversary with me.

  • Candace May 25, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Heather, your heart resonates so much with mine in this post. I’m sure you experienced much of what you describe here when you moved to Germany. One might look at might life in any season and never use the word “lonely.” But John’s recent change of vocation and moving 2000 miles away from a home we loved and people we loved for 13 years caused me to fall into the deepest sadness I have ever felt. I had no idea how desperately I wanted to be known. Throw in a struggle with God over the whole decision to put us in the middle of the desert (both literally and figuratively), I felt like my world was crashing. Reading this blog post brought all of that to the surface again. Not because I am still sad but because all the healing I experienced through Jesus reminding me that He loves me and He will never leave me and that He knows me even better than I know myself. Even though I was surrounded by life and chaos, my soul was desperate for fellowship and community with fellow believers and a nourishing of my soul that could only be provided by God Himself.

    THANK YOU writing this. I cried healing tears.

    • Stella G May 27, 2015 at 4:20 am

      Amen, Candace!

      • Candace June 1, 2015 at 5:09 pm

        I feel like we have our own little Admissions reunion on this blog! Yay Heather! Wish we could all get together over coffee!

  • Heather Yoder May 25, 2015 at 8:49 pm

    My friend,

    No kidding you know what feeling alone is like. And I realize you are, actually, never ever alone since you have a family filled with tiny feet and beautiful blonde hair. But, as we’ve agreed, being surrounded doesn’t always mean we feel “known”. It’s funny, I wrote this last week and THIS week I’m dealing with the other end of feeling alone… feeling judged. That’s what I’ve been battling today. We move from one freedom giving truth to the enemies next crippling distraction. If it’s not this, it’s that, yadda yadda. I’m so tired of being beat down – regardless our circumstances I feel like the Father is pleading with us to trust Him. There is a plan and it is far from haphazard (even when we question ever single step of the way). So, I’m with you – crying those healing tears. I have a feeling I’ll need a few of them this week. But we’re in the process and we can be certain we’re on the right road.

    I love you. I love knowing you through this blog, through fb, and from our younger days as cute admissions girls. 😉

    Stay steady the course. I have no doubt you will.

  • Seed Sower Sis May 26, 2015 at 3:49 am

    This weeks picture is down right CREEPY.
    Forward In God Speed.