Have you ever wanted to be seen so badly that you forgot who was supposed to see you?
Maybe you wanted to be seen… not just looked at, but truly seen. Maybe you wanted someone to recognize your effort, your heart, the sacrifices you’ve made that no one talks about. Or maybe, like me, you just wanted something that made sense, and when it didn’t work out, you started asking God, “Did I miss You in this?”
When I was fifteen, I took a summer job with the Parks and Recreation Department in Boston through the Roxbury Boys and Girls Club program. I was excited because I thought it would be all about sports… mentoring youth, running basketball games, helping kids develop their skills. Since basketball was my world back then, I figured it would be the perfect fit. I was ready!
But on the first day, the supervisor called us all together, handed out trash bags, gloves and brooms, and said, “You’ll be cleaning the community today.”
I remember standing there thinking, Wait… cleaning? That’s not what I signed up for. I came to play basketball, not sweep sidewalks and pick up trash.
After two long days of feeling out of place, I finally asked if I could be transferred to a program that felt like a better fit. Thankfully, I was moved, but that summer taught me lessons I didn’t even know I needed yet.
At fifteen, I didn’t see it, but God was already teaching me something I’d come to understand years later… not everything that feels right is from God. Some things look like destiny, but they’re really distractions sent to throw you off course.
It’s easy to run after what looks good on paper… a relationship that seems promising, a job that pays more, a home that looks like “success.” But not everything that glitters is God’s gold.
The Bible reminds us that “the Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
That verse has always humbled me. Because while we see what looks good on the surface, the image, the opportunity, the open door…God sees the truth beneath it.
And sometimes, when the doors don’t open, or the people you hoped would notice you don’t, it’s not rejection… it’s God protecting you from what wasn’t meant for you.
Here's something we often miss. There will be seasons when God hides you on purpose. Not because you’re unworthy, but because you’re not supposed to be seen there. If the wrong people see you too soon, they might mishandle what God is still shaping.
Jesus said in John 7:6, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do.” Even Jesus, the Son of God had a specific time for revealing Himself. That means you and I do, too.
Sometimes you’re hidden not because you’re behind, you’re hidden because God is preserving you for the right season, the right people, and the right purpose.
So if the wrong crowd didn’t notice your gift, or that job didn’t call you back, or that person didn’t choose you… it’s okay. You weren’t meant to shine in that room. The light inside you is too important to be displayed in the wrong space.
The danger of wanting to be seen by the wrong people is that it can make us move before God’s time. We start trying to make things happen on our own, thinking we’re helping God out, when really, we’re stepping out from under His protection.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
That verse gets me every time. Because I’ve had seasons where I planned everything; every detail lined up perfectly, only for God to step in and say, “That’s not your step yet.”
It’s not that He doesn’t want to bless you. He wants to bless you in the way that’s best for you… in the right place, with the right people, at the right time. Because when we rush what God is still preparing, we end up standing somewhere that looks like purpose but doesn’t feel like peace.
Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.’”
God’s plan for your life is layered with wisdom you can’t see yet. Some seasons are about being visible; others are about being prepared. But all of them are necessary.
Some people were never meant to see you. Some doors were never meant to open. Some places were never meant to hold you. Because when God reveals you, it won’t be for temporary applause, it’ll be for lasting purpose.
That summer job taught me not to judge a book by its cover: not people, not seasons, not opportunities. Sometimes what feels hard is actually holy. Sometimes the closed door is really a gift in disguise.
The next time you find yourself asking, “Why didn’t that work out?” try asking instead, “What is God protecting me from?”
Because what if your hidden season isn’t punishment. What if it’s protection? What if God’s “not yet” is really His way of saying, “I love you too much to let you settle there.”
You don’t need everyone to see you. You just need the right One to call your name. And when He does, the timing will make perfect sense.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)
Pray with me
Father God,
Thank You for seeing me when others don’t. Thank You for hiding me when I’m not ready and for revealing me when the time is right. Help me to trust Your timing, even when it’s quiet, even when it hurts, even when I don’t understand it. Remind me that being unseen doesn’t mean I’m forgotten; it means You’re preparing me for something greater. Use this season to shape my heart for Your glory, and when You reveal me, let it reflect Your purpose, not my pride.
