“You are the God who sees me.”
Genesis 16:13

There are times when being seen is exactly what we need.

Not being noticed.

Not being the centre of attention.

Just being seen.

Someone recognising that we’re tired.

Someone noticing that the smile is taking a little more effort today.

Someone understanding that there is more going on beneath the surface than we are saying.

In Genesis, Hagar finds herself alone in the wilderness.

Her life has become complicated and painful, and she has run away.

And it is there, in the wilderness, that God meets her.

Hagar gives God a remarkable name:

“You are the God who sees me.”

God saw her.

Not simply where she was, but what she was carrying.

That is mercy too.

God sees beyond the version of ourselves that we present to everyone else.

The brave face.

The I’m fine.

The don’t worry about me.

He sees what lies beneath all of that.

And perhaps today there is something comforting in simply knowing:

God sees me.

I am not unnoticed.

I am not overlooked.

I am not alone.

Carry this today

The God who sees me is the God who stays with me.

Prayer

God who sees me,
thank you that nothing about my life
is hidden from you.
You see what I carry,
what I worry about,
and what I cannot put into words.
Help me to rest today
in knowing that I am seen and loved.
Amen.