“I’m becoming invisible,” my sister-in-law off-handedly told me while we were standing outside the dressing rooms on a thrift-store shopping day. Somewhere in the middle of middle-aged, she expressed this feeling of no longer being “seen," that she was slowly disappearing as the years passed. Admittedly, I’ve felt it too, this toxic mix of self-perception and cultural bias. Sociologists call it, “Invisible Woman Syndrome." It’s a thing.  

Regardless of age or season of life, there are times we feel unseen. Most women have experienced the feeling they might as well have been the wallpaper at a social event, moms meet-up, or business meeting. Moving on from a career (even by choice), changes in our bodies, missing carefree times of younger years, and navigating male-dominated spaces can make women feel less-than and overlooked. It is so easy to think we are indeed invisible, unimportant, and underrated.  

It's a shared reality. The marketing machine of beauty fixes, fitness solutions, and fashion trends spends over $200 billion targeting women worldwide each year. And we sure fall for the promise of weight loss miracles and beauty secrets. Women spend trillions on these industries. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has whispered, “Pilates," while sitting alone on the couch (ok, maybe with an open bag of chips within reach), only to be inundated with workout ads on my socials. But the hard truth is we are all aging. No number of workouts, serums, supplements, or injections can stop the slow fade. Do outdated clothes, a few more wrinkles, and a couple extra pounds make us less visible? Less viable? Less valuable? 

Maybe to some. 

But not to God. He is an invisible person specialist.  

Just look at the prophetess Anna in Luke 2:36-38. She was 84 years old, not exactly in the young, fit and next-level-style bracket. Widowed as a young woman, she dedicated the rest of her life to worship, fasting and praying in the temple. So, she wasn’t seen at the cool places doing the cool things with cool people: anti-vibe (cringe). By a lot of people’s standards, she was invisible and unimportant.  

But God saw her, appreciated her, and chose her. Anna was a prophetess, meaning she had spiritual insight and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, a messenger from God. She recognized Jesus as the Messiah at first sight and immediately began preaching the good news to others!  

She waited well, with patience and spiritual discipline that is truly rare. And when the time came, God gave her a voice that spoke boldly about Him. She was living proof that God keeps His promises and sees the less-than, the small, and the waiting. 

Don’t fall in the trap of thinking you are unseen, unusable, or underrated.  

God wants you to know you are never alone or overlooked. 

You are relevant and relatable to Him. 

And that’s the opposite of invisible.