Do I Matter

What a sad cry for help.  It speaks of despair and loneliness; of aloneness and desperation. 

It’s spoken where injustice reigns.

It’s spoken at the gas pump when prices soar above $4 a gallon.

It’s spoken on the streets when craving for that next fix.

It’s spoken late at night by a child forced to do unspeakable things.

We cry “Do I Matter?”

We SHOUT it.

We whisper it

Yet it still comes out as …

Do     I     Matter? 

If I could, I would wrap my arms of love and compassion around everyone who has ever uttered this cry.  I would bandage up their wounds, both visible and invisible, and whisper softly in their ear, “Yes, you matter.  You matter to me, and you matter to the God of the universe.” 

You matter.

Yes, you matter a lot.

Always remember this:

God knows where you are every moment of the day.

He never loses track of you.

He never takes his eye off you.

And there are some good and wholesome organizations that have become the hands of God who care too.  They would love to reach out to you and wash your wounds.  Feed your stomach.  Nourish your body.  And offer a healing touch, a comforting word, a place of solace, even if only for the night.

Do I matter?

Yes, you do matter.  Maybe your plight is not as desperate as those described above.  Maybe you live in a modern home, have lovely furnishings, stylish clothes, and the latest cell phone.  Do you sometimes wonder if you matter to anyone?

Perhaps you are older now.  Retired, yet with a mind that is still active and able to reason, create and contemplate.  But no one reaches out to you any longer.  Do you matter?

Yes you matter.  As long as you take a breath you shall matter in this world.  Your significance is not diminished simply because you have aged.  You are, therefore you are significant.

We all are searching for a place to plug into.  Where do we belong? 

Oprah Winfrey says that every person alive simply wants to be validated.  We need, we want, we crave that stamp of approval that says “You, the skinny kid with the dirty tennis shoes. Yes you.  You matter to me.  You belong to me.  You are mine and I’m proud of you.”

So how can we validate others? 

-We can look each other in the eyes when we talk.

-We can value time spent together as more important than any TV 

  show, electronic game, or cell phone activity.

-We can listen with our ears and our hearts and offer empathy, 

  compassion.  Sometimes, just being heard is enough.

-We can avoid preaching a sermon.  That’s the last thing 

  needed by someone in desperate need of validation. 

People simply need to be validated. 

You need to be validated. 

You matter.  You are important.

You are created in the image of God, and as Ethel Waters, gospel singer, once remarked, “God don’t make junk.”

          You are a valued jewel.

      You are precious in God’s sight.

  You are somebody!

  You are somebody important.

      Somebody of value.

          Somebody of worth.

             Somebody with skills and a destiny.

                Somebody worth knowing.

You are valued simply because you exist.

“DO I MATTER” you ask?

Yes, you certainly do.

You matter!!!

A lot.