Happy Tuesday, My Friend!
Do you ever think about what superpower you might like to have, if that were possible? Would it be to fly? To have incredible strength? To read minds? How about being invisible? Guess what! If you happen to be like me, a middle-aged woman (sorry, guys), you might have that last superpower! Invisibility!
Did you know it’s an actual “thing” that women of a certain age become a bit—unseen—by others? It’s even got a name—Invisible Woman Syndrome. I’ve noticed it happening to me in the last few years.
Recently, I walked into a Baggallini store in a large mall. Now, I am one of Baggallini’s biggest customers. Just take a look in my closet. (They are purses, btw.) I have big ones and little ones, crossbody ones and backpack style. Solid colors and prints. Those suckers are indestructible! I get bored with a style after 100 years and want to try something new! It just so happened that my current purse had faded from navy blue to “yuck” gray. I knew the exact purse I wanted and in what color.
I walked into the store, and there were no other customers at the time. One young woman was working there. I covered every square inch of that store, looking for the purse I was purs-uing (see what I did?). The young woman never once looked up from what she was doing to look at me or ask if I needed help. PS—I ordered the bag I wanted on Amazon. I was at the same mall later and wanted to walk in with my new Baggallini purse and say, ala Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, “Remember me? BIG mistake.”
Another time, I had just arrived back at our local airport and was leaving the gate area and heading to baggage claim. I was walking in a narrow walkway between empty seats and a kiosk selling magazines and snacks. Coming toward me was a young woman in an official uniform. (I’m not sure if she worked for an airline or the airport.) She was dragging behind her two wheelchairs. At the precise moment we were passing one another, she twirled both wheelchairs around so that she would be pushing them rather than pulling them. She needed a wide girth to get them turned in a forward direction, and I literally had to jump into the air to propel my body over the foot pedals that were jutting out from the wheelchair closest to me. Now, my brother was a star athlete when it came to jumping hurdles for our high school back in the day, but he would have been impressed at my height jumping over those foot pedals. I was rather impressed with my cat-like reflexes, but I startled the heck out of the worker.
“Oh!” She was shocked when I jumped. “I didn’t even see you there!”
And there you have it! My superpower . . . . invisibility!
Those are just two of my favorite examples of going unnoticed. There are many more. It’s become quite “normal,” and I can’t even say it bothers me. As my husband so profoundly says about the way some things are in life: “It is what it is.” I find it so interesting. I’ve read a few articles on the subject, and I’ve noticed they talk about older women not being seen by men anymore. And to that, I say another profound statement: “Big whoop.” Personally, I have noticed that the ignoring has come more from younger women, which I find so curious.
So, why write about these somewhat sad tales about getting overlooked? Isn’t this Tuesday newsletter supposed to be encouraging? Hold on, I’m not done!
Do you know the story of Zacchaeus from the Bible? Zacchaeus may not have been a middle-aged woman, but he was a wee little man—and a wee little man was he! (Anyone singing that right now?) To add to his wee-littleness, he was also a tax collector, making him not just short in stature, but short on friends as well. Talk about getting overlooked.
One day, while Zacchaeus was minding his own money-collecting business, this Jesus came through town and everyone wanted to see Him. He had been saying things and doing things that no one had ever done before! It was standing room only along the streets as He walked by! How did a short little fella who was disliked by all stand a chance of seeing Jesus! It would probably be easier for him to get Taylor Swift tickets!
Aha! But his vertically challenged self was not deterred. He climbed a sycamore tree and had the best seat in the “house!” Not that anyone would notice. But Someone did notice. Someone even more prestigious than Taylor Swift.
At the very moment that Jesus was walking by that tree, He looked up and saw Zacchaeus. Short, swindly, unlikeable Zacchaeus. And not only did Jesus call him—by name—and tell him to come down, but told him He’d be stopping by his house that day. What?? Little old invisible Zacchaeus was going to host Jesus that day? Maybe for lunch? How awesome would that be??
There are many other stories in the Bible about other “invisibles” that God did not overlook. Joseph, when his brothers faked his death and sold him into slavery, and who spent time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. David, when he was just a runt of a shepherd boy, but was God’s choice to become King. The Samaritan woman, who was the outcast of her community. Bartimaeus, who was blind and shushed by the crowd when he sought healing. God saw each one of these people and knew just what each one needed.
Maybe my favorite “invisible,” though, is Hagar, who was used as a baby-making pawn by Sarai and Abram (soon to be Sarah and Abraham). Hagar was pregnant and miserable, so she ran away. But God was with her and comforted her. I love this verse found in Genesis 16:13 where Hagar says “. . . ‘You are the God who sees me,’ . . . “
The God who sees me.
My friend, you are not invisible. God sees you, no matter how short you might be, how old you might be, how overlooked you might feel . . . . no matter what you might have done to make you think, “Well, He wouldn’t want to hang out with me.” That’s just not true. You are so deeply loved by the One whose attention really matters. Not the checkout girl at the purse store or the wheelchair twirling woman at the airport. Maybe they didn’t see me. But the God of the universe does.
And He sees you, too.
Written with love – – – Patti XOXO