You Are Not Invisible
Seen, Called, Connected Series - Part 1
Before you begin to read this message, I want to say that as a ‘seasoned’ woman of God, life’s journey takes various twists and turns, moving through seasons that stir up many feelings and emotions. And this message spoke to my heart as I was writing, reminding me of times that I thought I could just forget, yet the Lord spoke that I had a message to share. As you read, my hope is that you’ll be able to relate as well.
Have you ever walked into a room and felt like you weren’t really there?
Maybe it was a church gathering where conversations happened around you but never quite included you. Or a family event where everyone seemed too busy to notice you’d arrived. Perhaps it was something quieter—a slow realization that the world seems to rush past women “of a certain age” without a second glance.
If you’ve ever felt overlooked, dismissed, or simply... unseen, I want you to know something today:
You are not invisible. Not to God. Not ever.
A Woman in the Wilderness
In Genesis 16, we meet a woman named Hagar. She was a servant, not someone the ancient world considered important. When her circumstances became unbearable, she did what many of us have done: she ran.
Alone. Afraid. Unseen by anyone who mattered.
Or so she thought.
Scripture tells us that the angel of the Lord found her by a spring in the wilderness and spoke directly to her. Not to her mistress Sarah. Not to Abraham. To Hagar, the overlooked one, the runaway, the woman the world had dismissed.
And here’s the part that stops me every time:
“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.’” — Genesis 16:13 (NIV)
Hagar didn’t just encounter God. She named Him based on what He revealed about Himself.
El Roi. The God Who Sees.
What It Means to Be Seen
When God saw Hagar, He wasn’t just aware of her location by that spring. He saw her pain. Her fear. Her confusion about what to do next. He saw the years of feeling like she didn’t matter and the weight of carrying burdens no one acknowledged.
And He spoke into it.
Friend, that same God sees you today.
He sees you in the quiet moments when loneliness settles in after everyone else has gone to bed. He sees the weariness behind your smile at church or maybe at your job. He sees the dreams you’ve tucked away because you thought your season for dreaming had passed.
He sees the woman you were, the woman you are, and the woman you’re still becoming.
And His gaze isn’t one of disappointment or dismissal. It’s tender. It’s knowing. It’s full of a love that has never looked away, not even for a moment.
The Lie of Invisibility
Our culture has a way of making women in midlife feel like we’ve faded into the background. The advertisements aren’t for us. The opportunities seem designed for someone younger. Sometimes even our own families forget to ask how we’re doing.
But here’s the truth the enemy doesn’t want you to believe:
Visibility to the world is not the same as value to God.
The world’s attention is fickle. It chases trends and youth and whatever is shiny and new. But God? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love doesn’t diminish because the world stopped paying attention.
You matter to Him…completely, deeply, eternally…not because of what you do or how others perceive you, but because of who you are: His beloved daughter.
An Invitation to Be Known
Being seen by God isn’t passive. It’s an invitation.
Hagar didn’t just receive a word from the Lord, she responded. She named Him. She acknowledged that the God of the universe had turned His face toward her.
Today, I want to invite you to do the same.
Where do you feel most invisible right now? Is it in your relationships? Your church community? Your own home? Your place of employment? Maybe it’s that deep internal place where you’ve wondered if your life still has purpose.
Take that place, that ache, and bring it to El Roi.
He already sees it. But there’s something powerful about saying, “Lord, I feel unseen here. Will You meet me in this wilderness?”
Because He will. He always does. In His timing.
And while you wait, you can rest in this truth...
A Prayer for the Unseen
Lord, I confess that sometimes I feel invisible. The world rushes past, and I wonder if anyone truly sees me, the real me, beneath the surface.
But today, I choose to believe what Your Word declares: You are the God who sees. You saw Hagar in her wilderness, and You see me in mine.
Help me to rest in Your gaze, not the world’s attention. Remind me that my value has never depended on being noticed by others, because I have always been noticed by You.
Thank You for seeing me, knowing me, and loving me still.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.🙏🏼
Something to Reflect On
This week, I encourage you to sit with this question:
Where in my life do I feel most invisible? What would it mean to believe that God sees me there?
Write it down if you can. Then whisper it to Him. El Roi is listening.
You are seen, sweet friend. Fully and tenderly.
And this is just the beginning.
Next week: Come back and we’ll explore what to do when you fear it’s “too late” to step into your purpose. Spoiler: it’s not.
