Do You See Me?

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Few of us actually know what it is like to live without physical eyesight. But after the loss of a loved one, you may wonder if those around you have been afflicted with “blindness.” You grieve and feel unseen. You struggle to adjust to life without your person and feel unnoticed. You begin to wonder if anybody cares at all, if your sorrows have enveloped you in a dark cloud of sadness that nobody can see through.

Sarah’s servant Hagar knew what it felt to live unseen like that. Hagar lived in submission to a woman who mistreated her and seethed with jealousy at her fertility. Though Abraham and Sarah had received God’s promise of a son, they took matters into their own hands, forcing Hagar to conceive and bear Abraham’s heir when God didn’t meet their timing expectations. But when Hagar became pregnant, Sarah angrily banished her to the desert. Hagar was marginalized, abused, and left all alone. It was as though she were invisible.

As she waited by a desert oasis, Hagar received a life-changing visit. An angel of the Lord appeared to her and instructed her what to do next. When she despaired of life, Hagar discovered for the first time that she wasn’t as invisible as she’d always felt. There was a God who saw her.

Hagar goes down in biblical history as the first person to ever give God a special name—El Roi, “the God who sees.” And being seen by God changes everything for her. Eventually, her life includes more pain. She ends up back in the desert a second time, this time with her young son. Again, God sees her need, visits her, and sustains her. Her life of sorrow is marked by the most powerful comfort of all. Though others forsake her, Hagar knows without a doubt that God is never blind to her plight. God notices.

Are you feeling invisible today? Do you feel like those around you are blind, that they can’t see how much you’re struggling and need care? Turn to El Roi today for comfort and provision. The same God that met Hagar in her life’s desert will meet you in yours. You are seen, known, and loved beyond measure.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.

A Prayer: Lord, I feel forgotten. Grief clouds my vision, and I fear that it makes me invisible to others too. I long to be really, truly seen. Come to my aid today, just as you did for Hagar in the desert. Notice me and have mercy on me in my loneliness. Instruct me in the way I should go, and give me confidence that you pay attention to each step I take. You see me because you made me and you love me. Remind me that you notice every small detail of my life. Amen.

An Activity for Today: God gave us five senses to enjoy our world, but limiting one sense can often heighten the others. Take a few minutes today to sit in silence with your eyes closed. As you “shut off” your vision for the moment, place a hand gently over your heart and still your body. Notice your breathing and the way your body settles as you relax into the moment. Next, attune yourself to your other senses. Is there a lingering taste on your tongue? What do you smell? What can you hear? What do you touch? Exercise these other senses by identifying three things you can taste, smell, hear, or touch. This practice of mindfulness relaxes your body and allows your mind to rest as well.

A Song to Encourage Your Heart: “The God Who Sees” by Kathie Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen