For those of you not familiar with this story, before Abraham and Sarah were Abraham and Sarah, they were Abram and Sarai. They had been promised a child yet remained childless well past the normal childbearing years. Being human, their faith was shaken as to how this promised child would be granted. Sarai then told her husband that he should have her Egyptian servant, Hagar, as his second wife in order to have a child through Hagar. Abram agreed. Hagar had no choice in the matter.
Hagar was given to Abram in marriage, and she got pregnant. She looked down on her mistress after she knew she was with child. Sarai, of course, did not like the contempt her servant was treating her with and spoke to Abram. He told her to do with her servant as she wished. She treated Hagar harshly until Hagar ran away. So in the middle of the woods, invisible, alone, and pregnant, God met her.
The story in Genesis 16 says an "Angel of the Lord" appeared to her. This kind of language often is a reference to preincarnate appearance of Christ. The very God of the universe came personally to her. They had a dialogue, and she was given big promises and instructions on what to do from there. After He departed, verse 13 says "so she called the Lord who spoke to her: the God who sees, for she said 'In this place, have I actually seen the One who sees me?'"
God is called the God who sees. She was in awe that she saw with her own eyes the One who sees her in all her plight. She was nothing more than a means to an end to Sarai. She did not ask to have Abram as a husband. She was given no consideration in the plan. She was used. But God saw it ALL and met her when she was invisible!
In many ways, I can relate to Hagar. I was used for the desire of someone else. I got what I never asked for. No consideration was given to me and my well being. As a result, I became invisible to everyone around me. I was less than human. But just as God saw Hagar, He sees me too. He always has.
He saw me when everything was happening. He saw me in the aftermath. He sees me now. He will see me forever. That truth does bring some questions for which I do not have any answers, but it also brings a sense of comfort. Someone sees. Someone knows. Someones cares. Someone notices. I am seen. I am known. When no one here wants to see me, when they look away from me or through me so they don't have to face what makes them uncomfortable, there is One who sees me and meets me alone in the wilderness just like He met Hagar. I may be invisible to most people here, but I am not invisible to the One who loves me most of all.
Do You See Me
God I know they don't see me but what about You
Do you see all of me that is dirty and used
Am I more than everything he did to me
Am I more than all that they choose not to see
So much they overlook but do You take notice
You're so big, I'm so small, do You say I'm worth it
They have never seen me but tell me if it's true
Am I, have I always been, invisible to You too
My child I love you much more than you know
What they look past only draws Me in close
You are so much more than the pain of your past
I saw all he stole but your worth he's never had
My dear child you've never been invisible to Me
You're invisible to your own eyes, you don't see what I see
A precious daughter who is known and loved and whole
Not dirty or used but redeemed, new, and beautiful
No comments:
Post a Comment