hide-and-seek

'seek and you will find'*

I tried to calm my breathing, the space felt cramped, my hip started to ache and my left foot was going numb. But I dared not move, or else I would make too much sound. Standing in the back of a cupboard, with only enough room among the boxes for one foot, with just enough space among the clothes for myself, I didn't have too many options for how to move or where! While standing there, awkwardly waiting, I began to think (something one can do easily when given such circumstances!) about 'hide and seek'.

There are times when hiding can be uncomfortable, painful, and tiring. Hiding ones feelings or fears, opinions or doubts, from oneself and others. Staying quite, holding still, and wondering if anyone will find you, will notice the loud breathing or the rustle of a plastic bag near your foot. At the moment, I know sometimes I am consciously, and unconsciously, hiding from myself, from those around me, and from God.


Eventually I began to make 'peep'-ing sounds so that I could be found by my 4 year old cousin! Similar to my cousin, God calls out to us, trying to find us where ever we are hiding, for whatever reason.

'But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”'**

I am comforted to know that God cares enough to do the 'seeking' or else I would keep waiting and waiting in my dark cupboard!

 “...the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you..."***

Next it was my turn to seek and my cousins went and hid. Children are adorable when they hide, because often they choose the same spot every time and they also assume that if they can't see you, you won't notice them! As I looked in all the rooms I knew they were not, and eventually came to the 2 remaining places I knew they must be. To make my game believable I would wonder aloud of their whereabouts; 'are they behind the door? no' or 'is he under the bed? no'.

Sometimes, we can play dumb. It's a trap I fall into every once in a while of complaining that I cannot hear what God wants me to do, I tell myself if He wanted to say something he'd be here in my face. But, like a little child, God can be found in predictable places, namely with His people and in His word. I know God is always with me, but when I don't see or feel it, then I am learning that maybe I too can do some seeking: visit a church, call a Christian friend, or read my Bible.

'For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.'****

*Matthew 7:7
**Genesis 3:9
***1 Chronicles 28:9
****Matthew 7:8