Unseen
The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to Be Noticed
Published on 21. September 2017
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-0-310-33997-7 (ISBN)
Description
How do we find contentment in God when we feel so hidden?
Sara Hagerty unfolds the truths found in the biblical story of Mary of Bethany to discover the scandalous love of God and explore the spiritual richness of being hidden in him.
Every heart longs to be seen and understood. Yet most of our lives is unwitnessed. We spend our days working, driving, parenting. We sometimes spend whole seasons feeling unnoticed and unappreciated.
In Unseen, Sara Hagerty suggests that this is exactly what God intended. He is the only One who truly knows us. He is the only One who understands the value of the unseen in our lives. When this truth seeps into our souls, we realize that only when we hide ourselves in God can we give ourselves to others in true freedom--and know the joy of a deeper relationship with the God who sees us.
Our culture applauds what we can produce, what we can show, what we can upload to social media. Only when we give all of ourselves to God--unedited, abandoned, apparently wasteful in its lack of productivity--can we live out who God created us to be. As Hagerty writes, "Maybe my seemingly unproductive, looking-up-at-Him life produces awe among the angels."
Through an eloquent exploration of both personal and biblical story, Hagerty calls us to offer every unseen minute of our lives to God. God is in the secret places of our lives that no one else witnesses. But we've not been relegated to these places. We've been invited.
We may be "wasting" ourselves in a hidden corner today: The cubicle on the fourth floor. The hospital bedside of an elderly parent. The laundry room. But these are the places God uses to meet us with a radical love. These are the places that produce the kind of unhinged love in us that gives everything at His feet, whether or not anyone else ever proclaims our name, whether or not anyone else ever sees.
God's invitation is not just for a season or a day. It is the question of our lives: "When no one else applauds you, when it makes no sense, when you see no results--will you waste your love on Me?"
Sara Hagerty unfolds the truths found in the biblical story of Mary of Bethany to discover the scandalous love of God and explore the spiritual richness of being hidden in him.
Every heart longs to be seen and understood. Yet most of our lives is unwitnessed. We spend our days working, driving, parenting. We sometimes spend whole seasons feeling unnoticed and unappreciated.
In Unseen, Sara Hagerty suggests that this is exactly what God intended. He is the only One who truly knows us. He is the only One who understands the value of the unseen in our lives. When this truth seeps into our souls, we realize that only when we hide ourselves in God can we give ourselves to others in true freedom--and know the joy of a deeper relationship with the God who sees us.
Our culture applauds what we can produce, what we can show, what we can upload to social media. Only when we give all of ourselves to God--unedited, abandoned, apparently wasteful in its lack of productivity--can we live out who God created us to be. As Hagerty writes, "Maybe my seemingly unproductive, looking-up-at-Him life produces awe among the angels."
Through an eloquent exploration of both personal and biblical story, Hagerty calls us to offer every unseen minute of our lives to God. God is in the secret places of our lives that no one else witnesses. But we've not been relegated to these places. We've been invited.
We may be "wasting" ourselves in a hidden corner today: The cubicle on the fourth floor. The hospital bedside of an elderly parent. The laundry room. But these are the places God uses to meet us with a radical love. These are the places that produce the kind of unhinged love in us that gives everything at His feet, whether or not anyone else ever proclaims our name, whether or not anyone else ever sees.
God's invitation is not just for a season or a day. It is the question of our lives: "When no one else applauds you, when it makes no sense, when you see no results--will you waste your love on Me?"
Reviews / Votes
It's easy to get lost in the shuffle. This book is a gift to those of us longing to find our way back to Him. * Jennie Allen, founder, IF: Gathering; author, Nothing to Prove * Sara's writing is exquisite. Her words remind us that nothing goes unnoticed by the God who delights in us. * Katie Davis Majors, author, Kisses from Katie * Listening in on Sara's conversations with God will call your heart, as it did mine, to want more time with Him. * Barbara Rainey, FamilyLife; author, Letters to My Daughters * This book will prick your heart and encourage your soul. Let it rearrange your thinking in the most eternally beautiful of ways. * Karen Ehman, speaker, Proverbs 31 Ministries; author, Keep It Shut * This book is exactly what my soul needed. Sara writes with profound wisdom and humble sincerity. * Sarah Mackenzie, author, Teaching from Rest * What a beautiful gift! Unseen invites us into the blessed center of what we were made for. * Christy Nockels, songwriter; The Glorious in the Mundane podcast * Sara exposes the beauty of abiding in the unseen and unrecognized, and we can't help but desire the same. * Ruth Chou Simons, author, GraceLaced; gracelaced.com * This journey into hiddenness will usher you to a place of newfound identity and intimacy with God. * Allen Arnold, author, The Story of With * Sara winsomely models what we all desperately need: to long for the praise of God instead of craving the praise of man. * Dee Brestin, author, The Friendships of Women * This book will inspire you to keep being faithful, to see beauty right where you are, and to rest in God's sweet love for you every day. * Sally Clarkson, author, The Lifegiving Home; Sallyclarkson.com * With both wonder and practicality, Unseen will escort you to find that longed for place of joy and stability---hidden in His gaze. * Dana Candler, author, Deep unto Deep * I'm desperate to "waste" more time with Jesus after reading Unseen, and I will recommend it over and over again. * Jeannie Cunnion, author, Mom Set Free * Sara shows us the power of wonder and stillness in the midst of crazy days. She gives us the courage to become unseen. * Susan Alexander Yates, speaker; author, Risky Faith * Because of this book, I have remembered who I truly am and what I truly desire. Sara's quiet story is transformative. * Christie Purifoy, author, Roots and Sky * You can't read this spectacular book without wanting more of Jesus, the one who always sees you right where you are. * Jennifer Dukes Lee, author, The Happiness Dare * Sara reminds us that being hidden with God is never time wasted. I desire a deeper friendship with God after reading her words. * Esther Fleece, author, No More Faking Fine * I will return to this beautiful and powerful book when I need a re- minder of God's faithfulness, purposes, and love for me. * Amy Julia Becker, author, A Good and Perfect Gift * Unseen is pregnant with the revelation that we can do nothing to earn God's love, a love we can experience when we are the least "useful" to him. * Sara Hall, marathon runner; The Hall Steps Foundation * Sara turns our eyes to the beautiful reality that God is happily engaged in our everyday moments. * Christine Hoover, author, Messy Beautiful Friendship * If you are tugged by the allure of a life that makes a difference and are a bit disoriented by it all, Unseen is a must-read. * Ruth Schwenk, TheBetterMom.com; coauthor, Pressing Pause *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Grand Rapids
United States
Product notice
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 211 mm
Width: 139 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
303 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-310-33997-7 (9780310339977)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
08/2017
Zondervan
€8.99
Available for download
Persons
Sara Hagerty is a lover of God, a wife to Nate, and a mother of seven--four adopted from Africa and three through miracle pregnancies. She's also a bestselling author and speaker. As a lifelong admirer of words, Sara has experienced their power to revive. Raw words written in tearful honesty and shared with her readers. Words whispered in hidden places as conversation with God and worship to Him. Today Sara's words offer God's hope to readers facing unexpected life circumstances. You can follow her on Instagram @sarahagertywrites.