Nicole Johnson - The Invisible Woman: A Special Story for Mothers

Presented To

WITH ADMIRATION FOR THE GREATNESS OF WHAT YOU ARE BUILDING WHEN ONLY GOD SEES

BY

DATE

The Invisible Woman

Also by
NICOLE JOHNSON

Fresh Brewed Life
Fresh Brewed Life Study Guide

Keeping a Princess Heart, In a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World
Keeping a Princess Heart - A Conversation Guide for Women

TRILOGY ON FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

Raising the Sail
Stepping into the Ring
Dropping Your Rock

NICOLE JOHNSON LIVE (VIDEOS)

Funny Stuff Woman Can Relate To
Stepping into the Ring
Theres No Place Like Hope

www.nicolejohnson.net
www.wpublishinggroup.com

The Invisible Woman

by

NICOLE JOHNSON

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

Copyright 2005 Nicole Johnson
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee, 37214.

W Publishing Group books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from Holy Bible, New CenturyVersion . Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Cover Design: Tobias Outerwear for Books, www.tobiasdesign.com
Page Design: Blackbird Design, www.blackbird-design.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johnson, Nicole, 1966
The invisible woman / by Nicole Johnson.
p. cm.
Summary: "Nicole Johnson shows how being in the background of others' lives isn't necessarily less important"Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8499-1829-4 (tradepaper)
1. Johnson, Nicole, 1966- 2. Christian biographyUnited States. I. Title.
BR1725.J624A3 2005
242dc22

2005000302

Printed in the United States of America

05 06 07 08 09 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

FOR MY SISTER VANESSA,

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL INVISIBLE WOMAN

IVE EVER BEEN ABLE TO SEE

Table of Contents

Chapter One
NOW YOU SEE ME... NOW YOU DONT

Chapter Two
THE DIVINE DISAPPEARANCE

Chapter Three
LOVES MOST BEAUTIFUL COSTUME

Chapter One

Now you see me...

Now you dont

Now you see me...

Now you dont

It started to happen gradually...

I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family, like, Turn the TV down, please. And nothing would happen. Nobody would get up or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, Would someone turn the TV down? Nothing. Finally, in frustration I would go over and turn it down myself.

One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand, and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, Who is that with you, young fella?

Nobody, he shrugged.

Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only five, but as we crossed the street I thought, Oh my goodness, nobody?

Then I began to notice these kinds of things more and more, because it wasnt only with the kids. I was in the grocery store looking for Fruity Pebbles. A clerk from the store walked by and I said, Excuse me, but could you... and he was gone. He walked right past me to help a woman further down the aisle, who was having trouble finding extra-fine sugar. She looked about twenty-two and just so happened to be extra fine herself. I was left on my own with the cereal hunt.

Another night my husband and I were at a party. Wed been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, Im ready to go when you are. He just kept right on talking, and he didnt even turn toward me or notice that anyone was standing there.

Thats when I started to put all the pieces together. I dont think he can see me. I dont think anyone can see me.

Im invisible.

It all began to make sensethe blank stares, the lack of response, the way someone will walk into the room while Im on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside Im thinking, Cant you see Im on thephone? Obviously not. No one can see if Im on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even resting, because no one can see me at all. I could stand on my head in the corner and inevitably someone would wonder, out loud, Is my soccer jersey clean?

Im invisible.

When I put dinner on the table, everyone acts like it just appeared from nowhere. The four of us can sit down with a full meal in front of us, and Jake will say, I didnt want milk, as if hes talking to the air. Its the same air that my husband talks to when he surveys the table laden with food and says, Theres no butter. I have come to understand that this means, I cant see you; Im not even addressing you. But when I say there is no butter, the butter lady will get up and get it.

And hes right. Presto, the butter appears like magic; the milk gets swapped for juice; and we go on with dinner. No one says thank you, because no one sees that anyone did anything.

My family has no clue how their socks get back in their drawers, how their favorite treats end up in that mysterious brown bag that sits by the door waiting to be picked up on their way out, who comes to pick them up after school, or why the dog doesnt wet on the rug anymore.

Tim, my teenager, takes everyone elses advice but mine. My husband Michael talks to other people like hes interested in the minute details of their lives, yet he doesnt even ask me about my day. My kindergartner wants to play, but my body is just a mountain to roll over with his trucks. Im nobody. In a crowded room, no one looks me in the eyes. In the grocery store, Im just a mother in sweats, like every other mother, looking for the on-sale, now sold-out Fruity Pebbles. At a business dinner, Im just another wife, like every other wife therea woman who tried to find something nice to wear and is happy to be out of the house. Im invisible.