The One Who Sees

In junior high, my sweaty tomboy tendencies started to dial back a bit. I decided I wanted to be one of the “pretty girls” who appeared to effortlessly capture the boys’ attention with flirty giggling, cute hair-dos, and a face full of make-up. Instead of being the girl known for being rough, tough, and playing sports with the boys in p.e. class, I would instead choose to sit in the bleachers; not sweating and talking all things “girl talk”. I may have been hesitant to mention it back then but all I desperately wanted was to be SEEN by my peers for the things I felt would validate me.

Sweet friend, I believe we all have this innate desire to be seen. Whether we are young girls at school or adults in our jobs, relationships, the roles we play in our everyday life, on social media, or in the dark desolate places of our struggles. Our human hearts crave love, intimacy, validation, support, and recognition. Particularly in hard seasons of struggle, affliction, and brokenness we want to know that someone sees us and cares enough to lean in.

This desire is nothing new and one we see throughout scripture as well. In the first book of Genesis 16, we are introduced to a young woman who was not much different than you and me. Although her circumstances may not be ours we can relate to the emotions she experienced and her desire to flee her circumstances. Hagar’s story is one that resonates with me and can be so easy to miss if we are not paying close attention sweet friend. When we meet Hagar, an Egyptian slave, she is a sexual pawn being used to fulfill the deepest desire of her barren mistress, Sarah. After becoming pregnant and being abused by her mistress, Hagar flees into the desert. This is where her circumstances appear bleak but it is not where Hagar’s story ends.

In verse 7 we find Hagar in the wilderness but she is not alone, the angel of the Lord meets her there. The part of this story that catches me by surprise is the fact that nowhere are we told Hagar cries out to God, yet He sees her and leans into her despair; verse 11 tells us, “because the Lord has listened to your affliction.” Sweet friend, we serve the same God who SAW Hagar in the desert that day, heard her troubled heart, and ministered to her right where she fled to. Hagar recognized who was speaking to her and she gave God the name El Roi meaning “the God who sees me”. This is the only account of God being given this name in scripture.

Sweet friend, I don’t know what your life looks like right now. Maybe you’re exhausted taking care of a sick loved one, working a job that gives you no recognition, parenting a difficult child who wages war with you daily, barely surviving in a broken marriage, struggling with feeling isolated amid a pandemic, or perhaps you are waiting...waiting for God to fulfill that deep desire of a mate or child of your own. Please know that you are not forgotten or unseen, El Roi sees you, hears your burdens, and He cares deeply for you.

Hagar could not see past her current situation but God could, and although He instructed her to return to the same situation that drove her to the desert, He did not send her away empty-handed. He had a plan and promise in store for Hagar and her unborn child, but it required her to have faith and to be obedient. Later in Hagar’s story (Genesis 21), we find Hagar again in the desert but this time she is with her son, Ishmael who is near death due to lack of water. Again we see the angel of the Lord appear to Hagar and provide water in the wilderness and hope for her weary soul. God continued to not only see Hagar’s every step and but He continued to provide for her and her offspring just as He promised He would.

Sweet friend, may we find peace in knowing that our God not only sees us but He also sees the plan He has in store for us. He is there with us each step of the way. Our Heavenly Father is faithful to provide water in our wilderness and continued hope to our souls, just as He did with Hagar. My prayer for myself and for you is that we continue to be obedient and call out to Him, even when the understanding of our current circumstances is limited.