EP. 8: When We Feel Invisible (with Robert Gelinas)

06/15/20 • 28 min

2 Listeners

Show Summary:

Feeling unseen, unheard, and invisible is something many of us struggle with. In this week’s episode of God Hears Her, Robert Gelinas describes overcoming feelings of being invisible and introduces us to Hagar and the God who sees and hears her and us.

Guest Bio:

Robert Gelinas deeply desires to see the body of Christ united and empowered to serve the poor and the poor in spirit; the miserable and the marginalized; the disabled and those deemed unimportant. Robert is the pastor of Colorado Community Church and the author of several books including his most recent, Discipled by Jesus. He and his wife, Barbara, live with their six children in the Denver area.

Notes and Quotes:

“I felt loved, but I did not feel seen or heard in my family. I felt invisible.”
“The pastor says, ‘I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,’ and when I went under water it was like time stopped because I didn’t know who my dad was, and this man said Father.”
Sometimes we don’t realize there is a big gap in our heart that desires to be known or noticed, until we are.
“The people we interact with on this planet can mirror how He views us.”
“I don’t think the first woman wondered if she was seen and heard. I don’t think Eve ever woke up before the fall and said, ‘Does God see me, and does my husband see me?’”
“Are you really there if nobody sees you?”
“We would rather be invisible than be exposed.”
Our fear of being vulnerable, or being exposed, gets in the way of us being seen or being known.
“Is it a right? It is more than a right, it’s what you were created for.” –Referring to a woman questioning if it is her right to be seen and heard.
When you feel invisible, you think it’s possibly your fault. But when you have that moment where God reveals to you that He sees you, then at least you know: I am not invisible. I am real. I exist.

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned In Show:

Verses Mentioned In Show:

Genesis 16:13 NIV “You are the God who sees me.”
John 4:15-18 NIV Jesus with the woman at the well.

The Book of Lamentations NIV

Show Summary:

Guest Bio:

Notes and Quotes:

“I felt loved, but I did not feel seen or heard in my family. I felt invisible.”
“The pastor says, ‘I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,’ and when I went under water it was like time stopped because I didn’t know who my dad was, and this man said Father.”
Sometimes we don’t realize there is a big gap in our heart that desires to be known or noticed, until we are.
“The people we interact with on this planet can mirror how He views us.”
“I don’t think the first woman wondered if she was seen and heard. I don’t think Eve ever woke up before the fall and said, ‘Does God see me, and does my husband see me?’”
“Are you really there if nobody sees you?”
“We would rather be invisible than be exposed.”
Our fear of being vulnerable, or being exposed, gets in the way of us being seen or being known.
“Is it a right? It is more than a right, it’s what you were created for.” –Referring to a woman questioning if it is her right to be seen and heard.
When you feel invisible, you think it’s possibly your fault. But when you have that moment where God reveals to you that He sees you, then at least you know: I am not invisible. I am real. I exist.

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned In Show:

Verses Mentioned In Show:

Genesis 16:13 NIV “You are the God who sees me.”
John 4:15-18 NIV Jesus with the woman at the well.

The Book of Lamentations NIV

Previous Episode

EP. 7: Friendable

Show Summary:

How would you describe the perfect friend? Have you ever thought to ask yourself, “Am I friendable?” In this week’s episode of God Hears Her, Elisa and Eryn share tips and experiences that can help us find, and become, better friends.

Notes and Quotes:

Regarding friendship: “I think instead of looking for that 24-7, I think we need to learn to be it. I call that being friendable—that I am open to a friend by being a friend to others.”
Friend tip: You have to know your own story.
Asking other people their story. Use the elevator analogy when asking someone their story. Get in the elevator, but allow them to choose what floor they are going to. Instead of pushing and probing, let it be open-ended and allow the person you asked to decide what floor, or level, they would like to get off at.
Let the vulnerability lay in the lap of the person you are trying to befriend.
Kill the competition. Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you can be happy and confident in what God is doing in your life instead of comparing your life to what He’s doing in the lives of others.
Be open to finding friends in unexpected places.
“We are wired for connection and friendship; and I think that God listens, and He wants to provide us friends that can meet us there.”
Don’t be afraid to ask God, “Hey, will you bring me a friend?” or “Hey, will you make me more friendable?”
“I think there is something different that God has provided for us by providing Jesus. It is a kind of a friendship—it’s a spiritual friendship—but it’s a companion.”
Leaning into God (in the areas we look for fulfillment from a friend) can protect our friendships and in turn make us closer friends with God.

Links:

Verses:

John 15:14-15 NIV “I have called you friends.”
John 14:16-18 NIV “I will come to you.”

Next Episode

EP. 9: When We Don't Fit In (with Vivian Mabuni)

During this week’s episode of God Hears Her, Vivian Mabuni admits that as an American of Asian descent, she’s struggled to fit in, and this reality leads to a conversation on diversity, inclusion, and healing. From understanding terms like “microaggression” to walking us through how to be a good friend to someone who’s hurting, this is a conversation about how God intended us to love others, even those who are different from us.

Guest Bio:

Vivian Mabuni is a teacher and uses the platforms of writing, speaking, and podcasting to encourage women to find the abundant life Christ offers within the good and bad of life. Her battle with cancer led her to see God as present and faithful, even when life is not working out the way she expected. She wants people to know that following Jesus is not a pain-free and smooth journey, but it is still rich and good! Her newest book is titled Open Hands Willing Heart: Discover the Joy of Saying Yes to God.

Notes and Quotes:

Microaggression: An othering; it separates us. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, a microaggression is “a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group.”
“I have been on a journey, really, and some of it has been learning to actually embrace and celebrate my ethnic heritage because most of my life I spent trying to fit in.”
Here’s a kind way to ask a person of a different ethnic background about themselves: “Will you share with me your ethnic heritage?” Also, learn your own ethnic heritage so you can contribute to the conversation.
“American does not mean ‘white,’ and we tend to start to think that is the normal; and that is not necessarily normal. It’s its own experience.”
There is a strong rooting that takes place when we understand who we are and where we are from.
God intends for us to live in unity, but unity is not uniformity.
“I am not going to let what would be injustice, impact my character.”
“Instead of segregating our offerings into little cliques, which is so difficult, can we be more intentional of being inclusive?”
How to help a friend who is healing: “To be a good friend, don’t offer advice. The present of presence just goes so much further.”
We all heal differently, and learning to be a gracious receiver is hard. We need to be respectful that each of us handles suffering differently.