Hagar's story tells us God sees and hears us fully, sees all the hard things in our lives, is glad to be with us in them, and can do something about them. Start with your current setting--the room you are in, the clothes you're wearing, etc.--and say to yourself, "God sees this brown chair. God sees my blue sweater, etc." Then name to God one challenge in your life. Naming the various aspects of this challenge, say to yourself that God sees and hears each one of them. Tell yourself God is glad to be with you in this. Then ask God how it is that God understands how big this is to you, and how God can help you.
Name a large problem your city or country is facing. Practice the above exercise with that issue as well, telling yourself God sees and hears this and is glad to be with you and your community and nation in this ask. Ask God how God understands how big this is to the people involved and ask God to help them.
Two years ago, I wrote a theology paper about the story of Hagar. It was fun to revisit this passage today.
Can I also say how I love that Pastor Steve Watson, the writer of this devotional, uses "God" to refer to God--rather than the gendered pronoun of "Him"?
Now back to the prompt:
God sees everything that goes on at The Newman School. God sees that today, I am doing the jobs of three people: Director of International Student Advising (my position); Dean of Administration (a position above mine); and Administrative Assistant (a position below mine). Thank goodness my practicum student is on spring break, otherwise I would have to supervise her as well.
God sees each kid that is here and the stories behind every person breathing in this building.
God sees the people in my life that are not quite in a fulfilled place in life. God cares more about their fates than I do, and God assesses their progress differently than the world does.
God sees Boston, in all of its hierarchical splendor. It is a well-ordered city, which also means that one has to be subversive in order to have agency. It is Catholic, which means people are respectful but stoic. It is freezing even in March, which means you've gotta be tough to thrive.
Truth be told, I hate Boston most days, even as I'm making a decent living here. God sees, and God cares.
In other news, I am feeling less drained than most days from work, even though I'm doing three people's jobs. This is because I have not been stuck in small talk with my co-workers. I hate small talk, and sometimes the way my co-workers stand around and talk makes me want to scream, "Let me leave so I can do my job. I'm damn good at what I do, but I'm not here to make friends while I serve my purpose!"
God sees, and God cares. And God's probably having a little laugh about how feisty I am =)
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