You're About to Be Noticed

[Sitting by the lake, enjoying the breeze]

I have this feeling, that you are about to be noticed, discovered. Like someone is getting ready to recognize you and become aware of who you are.

Now, I know that when you hear the word noticed or discovered, you may think like someone’s going to sign you or find you or put you on the map. But not everyone is looking to be put on the map. Not everyone is looking to be signed. Not everyone is looking to be famous or to be known. But I truly believe that at the core of all of us, there is this person on the inside of us that really want to be appreciated and valued. Whether it’s just a friend, a small community, an opportunity of a lifetime. There’s something inside of us that does desire to be noticed. And you may be saying to yourself, well, notice for what?

How many of your favorite tv shows have you discovered at season three? Or season four or season five?

How many of your favorite artists have you discovered years after they started?

If we’re honest, probably all of them. Like, let’s be real. When that new show comes out, a lot of us are not on the bandwagon from the beginning. Many of us discover a show after it’s in season two or three. And then we go back and we binge watch to catch up to the current season. Or how about that artist who you finally notice and you’re listening to their single on repeat only to find out they have two albums already out. And you’re like, where have I been?

Most people get discouraged when starting because nobody is noticing them. But the real reason people succeed in the first place is because they endure long enough to get noticed. And I want you to know… you’ve endured long enough.

I don’t know if you realize it, but your voice is needed. Your presence is valuable. Your love is desired. And for many of us, we go about life and we live with this unknowing that there is something more out there for us. Somebody needs us, values our encouragement, our insight, our advice. And even if nobody on the massive scale ever discover you, somebody is going to notice you.

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I was reading the story about Jesus in Luke 19 when He was in this particular town and there were so many people surrounding Him. But there was this one guy who couldn’t get a proper view of Jesus. And so what he does is he runs ahead of the crowd and goes and he climbs up this sycamore tree.

But why?

Luke deliberately tells us that this man Zacchaeus was short. That’s important…because without this guy having that disadvantage, there would have been no reason for him to climb. If Zacchaeus would have been tall enough to see over the crowd and view Jesus, he probably would have remained inside the crowd.

But his disadvantage forced him out of the crowd.

The thing that made him “different” forced him to find a different position. A different path. A different way. It made him crave a view in such a way that he wasn’t willing to just settle with not being able to see anymore.

Sometimes what feels like your disadvantage is actually God’s mechanism for getting you out of the crowd.

Maybe being overlooked has been doing more for you than you realize. Hear me clearly… if you could see from where everybody else is standing, you would never have to climb.

I want you to know that your disadvantage doesn't disqualify you.

It just changes your position.

I want you to write this down somewhere and remember it… Your limitation will always reveal your gift.

What’s so fascinating to me in this text is he climbs the sycamore tree because of his disadvantage. His limitation. And his limitation happens to be his statue of height. The tree then gives him an unfair advantage because the tree is strong. The tree is tall. And the crazy part that I think many people skip over in the text… Is that this man has a unique gift and ability to climb a tree.

But catch this… nobody celebrates the ability to climb trees.

We celebrate preaching.

Ambition.

Singing.

Leadership.

Intelligence.

Entrepreneurship.

Creativity.

Wealth.

But nobody puts “tree climber” in a bio.

Yet on this particular day, climbing was the only gift Zacchaeus needed.

Here’s the truth. I’ve never climbed a tree myself. I don’t believe I have the ability to climb a tree. And even if I needed to climb a tree, I honestly don’t even know where to start.

But this dude knew how to climb the tree.

There is something in your life that you have to really stop and ponder and think about. You look down on all the things that you are not. But let’s focus and zero in on the things that you are. The talent, the gifts and the unique advantages that you do have that no one celebrates.

No one really stops to celebrate Zacchaeus because he has the ability to climb. But I want to celebrate this man because somewhere along his life, he decided to learn to climb trees, not knowing that he was going to need it one day. Somewhere along his life, he was put in a unique position to strengthen his ability to climb, to discover, to learn, to try. And you must know that…

A gift's significance cannot always be determined before you arrive at the moment that requires it.

And often we ignore those things because it becomes just a part of our life. Something you've dismissed as insignificant may only look insignificant because you haven't arrived at the tree yet.

I don’t know what your gift is… maybe you know how to approach strangers. Or you remember names effortlessly. And guess what?! Nobody calls that an anointing or applaud those type of gifts.

But you don’t know which ordinary ability is going to meet an extraordinary moment. So stop insulting the gift you carry because you haven’t met the moment that explains it yet.

I have to take this moment to applaud the climber. The one who knows how to get off the ground and into a space where they can see again, where they can get a better view. And I do believe that sometimes our issue is not necessarily what we’re going through. Our issue is that we haven’t really learned how to get a better view of our surrounding. And sometimes you only get that when you climb.

Maybe you’re in a position like Zacchaeus where you can either settle for your disadvantage and say, well, I just can’t see. I’m short. I’m not tall enough. Or you can locate a gift inside of you that you use to get you to a place where you can have an advantage. And that is on the top of the tree.

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Luke 19:4 says Zacchaeus “ran ahead” and climbed the sycamore tree because Jesus was going to pass that way.

Put your seatbelt on because this part may be even bigger than the climbing.

Zacchaeus didn’t just climb any tree. He used discernment to anticipated where Jesus was going. Where his movement was heading.

The crowd was following where Jesus was.

Zacchaeus found a way to position himself where Jesus was going to be.

Discovery often happens because somebody stopped following the crowd long enough to get ahead of it.

Since I was young I was always allergic to following the crowd… and that allergy followed me into adulthood. I remember always being ahead of the movement and sometimes this was my advantage and sometimes my disadvantage. Because when you’re ahead of the crowd their perception of you is misunderstood at times until life catches up.

I remember pastoring and being a spiritual advisor to celebrities… during a time where people called me being lukewarm… now everyone wants to be a spiritual advisor. I remember creating a AI music artist in 2021 and being called wicked and an antichrist before AI music was a trend today. All because I could discern where the movement was heading.

Everybody was looking at Jesus. But Zacchaeus was looking at the route.

Now I have to slow down here because this next part is worth mentioning… Luke discloses that Zacchaeus is not necessarily some athletic little boy casually climbing a tree. Luke calls him a “chief tax collector”, and says he was wealthy.

So this is a wealthy adult man… a man with social position… and he is running down a road and climbing a tree.

Sometimes being discovered or noticed requires becoming willing to look ridiculous before you look significant.

You have to let that land in your spirit.

Stop worrying about what people will think. I'd rather you look foolish in a tree than look respectable in a crowd and miss Jesus.

Because it’s the tree that made Zacchaeus visible. But Jesus made Zacchaeus known.

Once Jesus reaches the spot where the tree is, He looks up and says:

“Zacchaeus…”

Catch that… Jesus calls him by name.

Zacchaeus climbed the tree hoping to catch a glimpse of someone he had never met. Then the Person he climbed to see revealed:

I already know who you are.

Man… I could run right here. You think you are not known… but the right person is about to stop where everyone else keeps walking pass.

Jesus said, I’m coming home with you. So come down out of the tree.

Don’t miss this… the tree was never his final destination. It was only supposed to be used for his position for recognition.

Your gift will get you noticed. But your gift isn’t necessarily your purpose.

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Let me try to bring this letter to a close… below I want to show you my Purpose Journey Map™. It is the journey we are all on. I want you discover where you are currently in the sequence of events and write it down:

Disadvantage → adaptation → hidden ability → positioning → recognition → encounter → transformation → Living in purpose

(if you want me to write another letter to go deeper into my purpose journey map leave a comment saying “more map”.)

No matter where you are in the journey… there is coming a time where your disadvantage won’t matter. Where your hidden ability will start to develop. And you will have to answer one question… can you climb?

You may think you’re climbing so you can finally see what’s coming. But if I was honest… you might actually be climbing so what’s coming can finally see you.

I’ll write you next Sunday.

Gold,