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Bearing One Another’s Burdens: The God Who Sees — Week 1

Yesterday we reflected on Hagar’s encounter with El Roi, the God who sees. Today, I want to pause on that truth — because the hardest part of healing, for many, is believing that someone truly sees them.

The Hidden Weight

Many people walk into church each week carrying invisible loads — grief that never had a funeral, fears that no one has named aloud, or shame buried beneath polite smiles. Psychologists call this “hidden trauma,” and research shows that unacknowledged pain often finds expression in our bodies: anxiety, fatigue, chronic tension, even illness.

According to the CDC’s ongoing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, early emotional wounds don’t stay in childhood; they ripple forward, shaping how we relate, trust, and even worship. But here’s the hope — neuroscience also shows that safe, caring relationships can literally reshape the brain. Healing happens when love is consistent and compassion is embodied.

In other words, what the Spirit does through the church aligns perfectly with what science observes: love rewires us toward wholeness.

Seeing Like Jesus

When Jesus looked at people, He didn’t just see behavior — He saw story.

He saw the hunger behind the anger, the loneliness behind the bravado, the fear behind the sin. He looked long enough for people to feel seen, and in that gaze they found dignity.

When He saw the woman bent over for eighteen years, He called her “daughter.” When He saw Peter’s shame after betrayal, He didn’t turn away — He cooked him breakfast. Every healing began with sight.

A Call to the Church

In a world quick to diagnose and slow to listen, the church’s gift is presence.

Seeing one another as God does isn’t a soft skill — it’s sacred ministry. The Spirit doesn’t merely dwell in our hearts; He opens our eyes.

Every time we truly notice someone — not as a project but as a person — heaven leans close. This is how Christ builds His healing community: one moment of Spirit-filled seeing at a time.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, open my eyes today.

Help me see beyond the surface, past words and defenses,

to the pain You long to heal.

Make me an instrument of Your seeing love.

Amen.

Blessings in Jesus’ Name,

Tom Nicholas, Pastor

Spirit Filled / Engaging Deeply / Reaching Our Community for Christ