Do you ever feel unseen?

You go about your work…diligently, and no one seems to notice how hard you work.

You go about your home…cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping, fixing meals, paying bills, planning and organizing the details of life…and no one in your family seems to really notice or acknowledge all that you do.

You go about living your life...treating others with kindness, giving behind the scenes, loving those around you...and most seem to take your actions for granted.

I have to admit...sometimes I feel this way. And as I'm plugging along, I start to wonder, "Does God see me? Does He care about my struggles?

There is an intriguing story in Genesis 16 that depicts a scenario somewhat like this. It's the story of Hagar (the servant) with her mistress, Sarai (who later became Sarah). Since Sarai is barren, she comes up with the idea to have Abraham, her husband, sleep with Hagar so they can have a child. Sure enough, Hagar gets pregnant, but then Sarai gets jealous and begins to mistreat her.

Notice the following:

*Hagar flees after the mistreatment by Sarai…but the Lord appears to her through an angel.

Then...

*The angel calls Hagar by name.

*Asks where she came from and where she’s going.

*Assures her that the Lord has heard her misery.

*Gives her the promise of many descendants, even though the prediction for the life of her son is not particularly comforting…"wild donkey of a man, every hand against him, and hostility with his brothers". (Not exactly the future I would hope for one of my sons!)

*Most importantly, the angel of God sends Hagar back to her mistress, so her circumstances do not change. Yet, Hagar is comforted by her interaction with the Lord…Why? Because she is assured that God sees her. She says, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

The story is told of a builder of one of the great cathedrals of Europe. He took the time to carve the image of a bird high up in one of the rafters. Someone saw him and asked him, “Why would you take the time to carve that beautiful bird when no one will see it?” His reply, “God sees.

St. Clotilde in Paris, France...perhaps a cathedral like this?

Perhaps the bird looked something like this?...

God sees us where we are....each hurt, each trial, each joy. This is comforting, yet can also be disturbing. He sees every act of kindness, of diligence, of love, and service. Yet, He also sees every act of selfishness, every unkind word, every white lie…He sees it all and loves us anyway. Thanks be to Him for His forgiveness through Christ's death on the cross. Alleluia! In Matthew 6 we have another assurance that He sees even what is done in secret...our giving...our praying.

In this world we live in, where everyone craves attention and recognition by self-promotion…is it enough, for us, to know that God sees?

Would this change the way we live... if this assurance that God sees us and loves us more than we will ever fathom... was part of our consciousness each day?