Have you noticed how at Unity Church of the Hills there is a concerted effort to reinforce that everyone in the community does matter? We see recognition in many overt ways, like acknowledging our Volunteer of the Month. In a multitude of smaller ways, we also thank our volunteers for a wide variety of service to our church home, other congregants, as well as service to the community at large.
The late sociologist Morris Rosenberg suggested that “mattering is a motive: The feeling that others depend on us, are interested in us, are concerned with our fate…[and] exercises a powerful influence on our actions.” We love to feel noticed, recognized and made to feel that we matter. Applause that we may receive is a metaphor for this.
You Are Essential To The Divine Design
There are so many ways in which our church family seeks to let us know how much we are appreciated and LOVED! A “thank you” is lovely, a hug is joyous, and an acknowledgement is spectacular. Not only within the walls of UCOH itself, but also in our spiritual teachings, there is so much more that supports the divine premise that we matter, that our lives have meaning and value.
These often intangible validations are the most precious gift of all, ones that are available to us every minute of the day, every day of our lives, no matter where we are or what circumstances we may be going through at the time. We are ONE with the Universe, enfolded in a transcendent love so infinite that we cannot imagine the magnitude of it. We are, each one of us, precious and important in the divine design of Creation.
The World Would Be Less Without You
There is a Divine Love within and without that is ours to claim. Our very existence here amongst our brothers and sisters is important. Our shared reality would not be the same without any one of us. Your own individual and unique presence matters, and the whole would be less than what it is and what it can be without you.
Each one of us is significant to those in our family unit no matter the size, or its composition. We also matter to our neighbors, to other drivers on the road even when they are honking at us, to shop keepers and business owners whether they be kind or not, to professional staff who serve us in various ways, and also to those that we serve with our own contributions to their lives.
Practicing Gratitude Is Self Validation
When we begin and end our day with gratitude, every moment of each day is sweeter. As we acknowledge and affirm the transcendent love that holds us and provides for our lives, we are reminded that we do indeed matter in the divine plan. The magic that permeates this life of ours on planet Earth is a divine promise that our lives are important, and have a divine purpose in the grand cosmic scheme. However, oftentimes we don’t know it, or many times we may not even feel it.
Still, the very fact that our physical, emotional and spiritual presence occupies space means that we do matter, even though there are times when we don’t quite realize just how much we do matter. In those moments, an acknowledgment from others can be a real life line. It may simply be a kind word that we share or receive, a casual acknowledgement or handshake, a friendly wave, or simply a smile that makes a wonderful difference in our own day, or someone else’s day.
Change Reminds Us That We Do Matter
Sometimes when we are in transitional periods in our lives, such as changing a residence, or a job, or a challenging family situation we may be moving through, we might wonder if we will continue to matter on the other side of the transition. The world as we know it has changed. How will we fit in to the new circumstances?
With those changes we may experience discomfort, even sadness, which is often followed by a grieving for the passing of the old ways. How can the new situation be as good? Will we be relevant in this new arena? Or will we cease to matter? But, with patience and courage, we usually learn that the new life is as good as, if not even better than the old life. It is like being born anew, a fresh lease on life with brand new possibilities. The best part is finding out that in the new life circumstances, we are serving others in ways that only we can. It is in those moments that life itself once again reaffirms that “Yes, we do matter.”
