Unseen

Does anyone here feel unseen?

There are many lives that pass quietly through the world. They don’t attract attention, nor do they receive applause. Their names are rarely mentioned and their work is often overlooked. Perhaps you have felt this way yourself - like the quiet child at the back in the classroom, only it’s been decades since you finished at school. Maybe it shows up in your daily work as you pour yourself into responsibilities that few people notice or the housework that never stays done.

The struggle might even be deeper than that; you’re dissatisfied with yourself. You’re not the size you wish you were. You don't fit in the jeans you once did. You look in the mirror and don’t recognize the person looking back at you.

Let me be honest with you: I have felt this way.

Recently I have found myself surrounded by women whose gifts are remarkable. Intelligent, articulate, beautiful - standing among them, I became very aware of the ways I felt ordinary and lacking and I started to turn inward.

Oh, how dangerous that can be.

We were never designed to look inward for our identity; we were designed to look upward.

What has the Lord been teaching me as I have navigated through these treacherous waters? You have a purpose. No matter who you are - your appearance, size, gifts… Your life matters, and your God sees you.

In Book of Genesis 16, Hagar, alone, mistreated, and forgotten encounters the Lord in the wilderness and calls Him El Roi, “the God who sees me.” The God who saw her is the same God who sees you.

He sees you as you clean up the toys for the millionth time.

He sees you when you cry quietly in the bathroom.

He sees you in your loneliness.

He sees you as you over analyze your reflection in the mirror.

He sees.

In Gospel of Luke 7:28, Jesus speaks of John the Baptist, stating that among those born of women, none is greater. John didn’t perform dazzling miracles. He didn’t live comfortably. He didn’t gather followers for himself. His mission was simple: to be a witness to the Light.

A voice. Not the Light itself, just a voice pointing to it.

Will you be content to be a voice that is heard but not seen? Will you do the seemingly insignificant tasks, trusting that God sees and delights in faithfulness? Will you be content to love yourself as you are, knowing that He already does?

In First Book of Kings 5, we are told that when Solomon built the temple, even the foundation stones were not left rough and hidden away carelessly. They were cut and costly. Shaped with intention. Prepared with excellence - though they would never be seen once the structure stood complete.

As Charles Spurgeon beautifully reflects: “Even the foundation stones were not rugged and rough, but cut and expensive. God would have everything that is done for him done well. He does not care so much for that which pleases human eyes; his delight is with the beauty of those living stones of his spiritual temple that are hidden from view.”

Isn’t that striking? The stones no one would ever admire were still precious. Still carefully shaped. Still costly.

And so are you.

Some of us are called to stand visible in the structure. Others are placed deep in the foundation unseen, bearing weight, holding steady. But hidden does not mean unimportant. Hidden does not mean forgotten. The Master Builder wastes nothing.

So many have gone before us, small and unnoticed in the eyes of the world. Yet their lives tell a different story. They point beyond themselves to an eternal kingdom and to a Master who is good.

You may feel unseen. You may feel like you don’t measure up to those around you.

But how wonderful that it doesn’t ultimately matter.

We serve a God who sees. A God who brings purpose to quiet faithfulness and dignity to daily, ordinary tasks. A God who measures greatness differently than the world does. The world may celebrate the loud and the dazzling, but the Lord delights in what is faithful. Each flower has its own glory. Some bold and bright, others small and delicate but each point to the beauty of their maker.

You are designed the way you are for a reason. Quiet or bold. Shy or confident.Short or tall. Gifted in ways that are visible or in ways that are known only to heaven. None of it is wasted. None of it is random. Each life carries meaning because it is held in the hands of a purposeful God.

So together, let us reflect Jesus and His light to the world, not for recognition, but for His glory - in everything we do.

Because the God who sees is enough.

Danni Fortune

Mother of three boys. Pastors wife. Lover of food and nature. Newfound passion for writing. Overcomer.

Could you relate to this story? Maybe parts of it felt familiar or reminded you that others truly understand what you're walking through. That's why we created the Hello, Freedom! Community, a safe space where women gather to find freedom from eating disorders and food and body image struggles in Christ-centered community.

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