Peek a Boo!

"Thereafer, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, 'You are the God who sees me.' She also said, 'Have I truly seen the One who sees me?'"

Before this, (Genesis 16) there was a lot of drama. Sarai and Abram, later to become Sarah and Abraham, were married, but Sarai couldn't have kids. So, in one last desperate attempt, she told Abram to go have a baby with her servant girl, Hagar. Hagar didn't even have a choice! So when Hagar found out she was pregnant by Abram, she "began to treat...Sarai with comtempt" (with hatred, or disrespect). Well Sarai, who acts a bit like a diva in this story, wasn't gunna have that. She can't see anything wrong with her actions, so blames Hagar's disrespect on something Abram must have done. Abram says look woman (not really), I've had enough of you. She's your servant, do what you want, I don't care. So then, as if Sarai learned nothing from the treatment she received, she starts to be mean to Hagar. Hagar had finally had enough and decided to run away. She started walking, and while she was by a spring (later called a well) an angel of the LORD asked her where she came from and where she was going. (It still amazes me that people weren't completely dumbfounded when stuff like this happened to them) So Hagar told Him of her mean treatment. The angel told her to go back, He would bless her with descendants, and that her child was to be named Ishmael (God hears).

THEN. Verse 13 comes along. Hagar decided what she would call God.
We all have our names: Father, Daddy, Papa, Dad, Sovereign, the list goes on.
And Hagar chose: "You are the God who SEES ME."
She knows that she has been seen. All the broken dreams she must have had, how she had no choice in her life, and the harsh treatment she had undergone and THEN to be pregnant. But she knew that God saw her.

Sometimes, the only thing that can heal broken painfulness is for Someone, or someone, to see us.