You Are Not Forgotten: Discovering the God Who Sees the Overlooked and Disregarded

by Christine Hoover

Have you ever felt forgotten, disregarded, wounded, invisible, or invalidated by others? Do you ever experience the pain and anger of feeling unseen? Has this left you wondering if you’re truly worthy of being acknowledged, listened to, and loved?
Oftentimes, when we are in this place, we turn toward God with soul-wrenching Where are you, God? Have you forgotten me? Are you paying attention to what is happening to me? Can I trust that you will act on my behalf?

If you’ve asked these questions, you are not alone. Author and Bible teacher Christine Hoover has asked these questions too, and she’s found that none of us are the first to feel overlooked or forgotten—and yet God has always been a “God Who Sees.” In fact, it was a woman named Hagar in the Bible, alone in her desperate wilderness, who first spoke this particular name for God. Her story along with others in Scripture reveal that God not only looks upon us when others disregard us, He looks after us.

If you feel disregarded or forgotten, take heart, for your God is One who always remembers His people and acts on behalf of them—and that includes you! He hears your cries, gently shepherds and heals your wounds of disregard, grants you refuge to ask questions, emboldens you with courage to forgive, calls you out of hiding for fear of disapproval, and even gives you eyes to see others in the compassionate way He sees you.

No matter who in this world may look right past you, know You are not forgotten. Your God is the God Who Sees, and He not only looks upon you but looks after you– always.

He is the God who sees….you.

Genres: Christian Living, Nonfiction, Christian, Faith, Self Help

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Christine Hoover serves as the Women's Ministry Associate at The Austin Stone Community Church's Northwest congregation in Austin, Texas. She hosts The Ministry Wives Podcast and has authored six books, including Messy Beautiful Friendship and How to Thrive as a Pastor's Wife, as well as a Bible study with Lifeway, Seek First the Kingdom. Her work has been featured on The Gospel Coalition, For The Church, and Christianity Today. Christine is married to Kyle, a pastor, and they have three boys. You can find her at her home online, www.christinehoover.net.

Reviews

[Christine Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because, well, I wrote it. So can I tell you about my latest book and why I wrote it?

"You Are Not Forgotten: is for anyone who feels unseen, cast aside, rejected, or lost and languishing in their circumstances and who is asking hard questions: Where are you, God? Do you see what's happening? Have you forgotten me?

In other words, it's my story.

Through a long years-long season of “unseenness," which I share about extensively in the book, I repeatedly asked these very questions and wondered if anything could or would change about my circumstances. I was lost and languishing and begging God to hear my cries.

What I discovered in that long season is that Scripture is full of people who felt tucked away and unseen, and who, almost verbatim, asked the same hard questions of God that I was asking.

In that time, I was specifically drawn to one unseen and disregarded woman: Hagar. But this woman had an encounter with God that changed everything for her, so much so that she gave Him a new name: The God Who Sees.

What does it mean that our God is a God Who Sees? It means everything. It means God is a deeply personal and deeply engaged God. And it means that He acts, for when He looks upon us and looks upon His own promises, He acts in specific ways – ways I explore in the book.

I wrote "You Are Not Forgotten" because I felt prompted to share my story for the benefit of others and to shine a spotlight onto our good God. And because I want anyone suffering in unseenness to know that God sees you and is at this very moment working on your behalf.

You are not alone.

And you are not forgotten.

In fact, it's quite the opposite. Let's explore together the beauty and personal presence of The God Who Sees!

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever felt invisible, betrayed, overlooked, misunderstood, or unappreciated, this book is for you.

If you know the potential struggles of ministry leadership (or being married to someone in ministry leadership), this book is for you.

If you want to learn better how to walk alongside those who fall into the above categories, this book is for you.

You are Not Forgotten is a book you never hope to relate to, but in the moment that you need it, you will be so grateful that Christine Hoover chose to share what she’s learned through painful life circumstances.

What I really love about this and what makes it so special is that she doesn’t shy away from acknowledging real pain, or put a “spiritual bandaid” on it. And yet, she never tips the scale toward unhealthy introspection or self-focus. We are invited to look to Scripture as a way to see the God who sees us, which leads us to hope and worship rather than despair and a me-centered outlook. The hope offered in these pages does not come from a pep talk, but a battle cry in the fight for God-given dignity and joy.

I know this book will be very healing for many readers, and therefore offer my sincere recommendation of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and B&H Publishers for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Amber Thiessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

{full review posted here: https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/yo...}

I'll send my kids to grab something for me from the pantry, and without a doubt they'll come back in a short amount of time telling me they couldn't find what they were looking for. Usually I'm fairly certain the ingredient is there—not that I've never forgotten—so I go myself and with relative ease locate what I need, with a look of curiosity at the child.

A tiny shrug and, "I just didn't see it Mom"

With a defeated sigh, I might admonish them to look harder next time or pay more attention to what they're doing. And isn't that what we long for in our relationships too?! Just see me, look harder, I'm right here!

In You Are Not Forgotten: Discovering the God Who Sees the Overlooked and Disregarded, Christine Hoover helps us unpack the hurt we've experienced and shows us more about the character of God and how he both sees and intervenes for us.

If you’re struggling with hurt and loneliness, feeling unaccepted and unworthy, this book reminds us God not only looks upon us when others disregard us, He looks after us—and this is a huge source of encouragement and strength for the Christian. That makes this a title you won’t want to miss out on.

Quick Stats
# of Pages: 224
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars

* A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

[Emily Waits (emilylovesreading_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at just the right time for me and was so helpful and so encouraging.

In this book, Christine Hoover shares parts of her painful journey through feelings of deep hurt from being overlooked and misunderstood. Christine shares the hope that she found in God’s Word through the story of Hagar and Sarah, as well as how the truth that God is “God Who Sees Me” became ever-so-sweet to her. This book is full of reminders that God sees you and that He has not forgotten or abandoned you. The author also offers some good practical advice!

10/10 recommend this book.

Thank you to @netgalley and B&H Pub for my gifted e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Abby Clark]

I picked this book up because Genesis 16:13 is one of my favorite verses. If you love this verse and want to read more about a God who sees you even when no one else does, this book has some great points! Although I don’t agree with everything talked about in this book, this book has encouraged me that God is a personal God who values intimacy with me! He is a God who never takes His eyes off of me! I feel so encouraged that I’m never alone since God is always watching over me, hearing me, and truly seeing me!

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most of my life, I have felt unseen... disregarded, overlooked, and forgotten. I have been misunderstood, ignored, and brushed to the side by those who would rather not see my messy otherness. Part of that is simply living in a broken, sin-cursed world. But part of it is a singular struggle that some of us are called to face. The author speaks specifically to these experiences out of her own personal familiarity with the struggle of feeling unseen and forgotten. I appreciated her honesty and vulnerability - not an easy task, when you've been taught by others' responses to keep those feelings hidden and unspoken. I didn't always agree with her perspectives or takeaways, but loved her emphasis on turning to Scripture and seeing things through God's eyes. From Hagar to Israel to Joseph, she repeatedly focused on how God sees us in our suffering (whether of our own making or not), and how He uses that suffering to grow us and glorify His name. Overall, it was an encouraging reminder of the God who sees every detail about His creation, who understands every aspect of our experience because He suffered Himself on this earth, and who calls us to grow in our relationships with Him and others through all that we experience.

I didn't relate to 100% of what she wrote, but there was enough to carry with me that I would recommend this to others who feel unseen and swept aside.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much in this book that is good to think about, pray about, and apply to life. I read it over the summer and our ladies at church are reading it now as our book club selection. I highly recommend it.

[Briley Lagan]

Yay Christine!!!!!!
Loved hearing more of her story & was both impressed & encouraged by how much scripture she used. I love this woman!!

[marylyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine weaves the story of Hagar and Sarah into her own story as she explores the work that God does when we feel unseen. She uses Scripture and her own experience to affirm the truth that God uses the painful experiences and suffering in our lives for His glory and our good. Highly recommend.

[Elsie Novotny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read!! I wished I had had this in my high school years

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Christine Hoover, who is also a pastor’s wife has wrote a book for those of us that have gone through or are going through a season of feeling not seeing, left out, misunderstood, and/or dealing with hurt. She shares her personal experience, along with biblical scripture, in how she learned to deal in faith with these issues.

I liked that this book is full of biblical examples and not making it about ourselves. This is a book I would recommend, just because of that. So many books out there like this would make their issues all about themselves, instead of what does God say, how does God want me to deal with this… She is honest and also shares where she got it wrong at times, which is very humbling. In addition, from the Bible, I learned more about Hagar, desert times, and a section on dealing with our emotions and hurt friendships in a biblical way. Having been hurt deeply from a friend is something I related to. I did sort of what she did, went into hiding, not wanting to trust people. Thankfully, God is good and works all things for His good purpose. I am able to forgive and not hurt anymore. Great reminders of trusting God, waiting, and doing things His way. After each chapter, she provides a further reflection section that asks questions to help you take it deeper and/or you could use as a discussion in a book study.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book details a story of the author's experience of being unseen by those around her. I can only imagine how difficult this must have been and the pain that was involved but was encouraged to hear how the author turned to God in the midst of her pain. In saying that, I found this book to be difficult to read. There was a heavy emphasis on the author's feelings, her experience, and how people failed to see her. It felt very self-focused and I struggled to find the big picture view of God working in and through the author's circumstances for his glory and the good of his children. I found myself having to stop a few times to recalibrate my thinking and remind myself of the sovereignty of God in the pain that we go through.

I received this complimentary book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lorraine Stevenson-Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Overall I found this book to be an excellent read. I appreciated the author’s perspective, vulnerability and the lessons she shared that can apply to all of us. You don’t need to be a pastors wife to relate to her journey.

I got a bit bogged down in a couple of the chapters but it’s likely because of the soul searching and self reflection needed if you want to actually apply the book.

[Lexi Zuo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely have mixed feelings about this book.

Some parts felt really navel gazing…. especially the parts about “what is your deepest wound”.

I did experience a huge betrayal from a friend while reading this book and it ministered to me a lot. The author kept me looking to Christ on the days I was most struggling g to stop crying and not fall into deep despair.

Definitely a great book for certain hard situations.

[Ashlee Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Are Not Forgotten takes the reader on a journey through Scripture, with a particular focus on Hagar’s story, to discover how God intercedes, delivers, and advocates for us in our “unseenness.” Christine weaves in her personal story of feeling overlooked and disregarded (especially in the context of ministry leadership) to offer the encouragement and hope that the God Who Sees acts on behalf of those who feel lonely and forgotten.

[Kathleen Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book highlights feelings of deep hurt from being overlooked and misunderstood, and showcases that God sees you and that He has not forgotten or abandoned you.

A timely read for this world of haste and digital toxicity.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

[Meagan Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were many pieces of this book I loved. Most notably thinking through how to rightly think about my emotions and how to consider seasons of waiting. Two things that are hard for me! Love this author <3.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Theresa LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

This book comforted, encouraged, instructed and enlightened me. By being vulnerable, sharing her hurts & struggles, Christine has given a great gift to others.

[G. A. Umshler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! I felt that I was reading a narrative of my own life. Any woman who has felt alone and forgotten needs to read this book. You are not alone! God sees you, and He loves you!

[April Parman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ actually