One touch; to know we matter; to know we exist for a purpose bigger than the daily grind; to feel connected; to believe our existence makes a difference. Isn’t that what we want — what we long for? Deep down in the farthest reaches of our being, to feel valued is something I think every person on this planet needs. We do value. I value. You value.
What does it mean to be of value? Value means cost, worth, market price, usefulness, significance, importance. I want that, but why? Why should I care about value? If I am just some cosmic accident, put together by natural selection, then why should I have this sense inside of me to matter, to be worth more than the material world around me? I believe it’s because we are not just a product of chance. I think the desire to be of value comes from a God-print in our inner-selves. God put His print on each and everyone one of us to feel connected to something bigger; to believe that there is more to life than what meets the eye.
What does make a person feel valued? Does a touch do it? Can I touch another soul to make them feel their life matters? From what I’ve experienced, it’s through giving of my stuff or my time that seems to have the biggest touch. I try not to like my things too much, and then it’s easier to give it away. I volunteer in a local food pantry and see regular folk down on their luck, and realize that could be me. I think that makes me feel better than those I serve. Didn’t Jesus say it was better to give than receive? (Acts 20:35.) Don’t have much time? Simply tell the cashier at the retail store how nice she is, or what a good job she is doing. I really do think it’s the simple things in our lives that make us feel valued. I don’t think it’s too complicated. It could be simply offering to pray for something in a person’s life that needs help.
A dear friend of mine recently asked a waitress if there was something we could be praying for her about. Her eyes glistened with sadness at the question, and she said yes, that she had just gotten into a car accident and they think her car is totaled. “I don’t know what I am going to do without a car,” she choked back the tears. She seemed desperate, and yet hopeful when we said we’d pray for her. And we did—right there at that table, before our meal was served. We lifted up her concerns about her car and prayed for a miracle. Did we know the outcome of that prayer? No. We don’t frequent that area, so we won’t be eating at that restaurant again anytime soon. But this we do know—at that moment, that waitress felt valued. Two perfect-strangers cared enough to pray for her. This is what makes our lives better. God is in the middle of it all, and without His inspiration to do such things, that simple moment would not have happened. I hope that young women’s car is fixable, or better yet, that God pours down His blessings on her and she gets a brand new car! Why not? In His eyes, she is that valuable.
I hope you can see your value, too. You’re so valuable that God himself took on the form of a man in the person of Jesus Christ and came down out of heaven to walk among us, as one of us, and made a way for us to return to Him. I am that valued, and so are you!
