Hide and Seek

“And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8 (KJV)

“Okay, you count and I will go hide and then you can find me!” My two-and-a half-year-old niece spouted these instructions before she very excitedly ran off to hide behind the big blue chair.

Pretending to search the living room over, I crept on hands and knees, delighted to hear her squeals of laughter when I - at last - “found” her.

“Okay, Aunt Staci! It’s your turn now! Go hide and I will find you!”

Over and over we repeated this childhood game, until we both tired of it.

And you know what? We always got the same results.

The hidden person was always found.

Ever since the Garden of Eden mankind has been playing our own version of “Hide and Seek” with God. Adam and his wife, Eve, felt shame and tried to hide from God, but they were found.

Jonah thought he was hiding from Him also, only to find himself in the belly of the whale where he finally faced the voice of God and decided to obey it.

Jacob thought he’d traveled far enough from home to escape God’s eyes, only to have a midnight wrestling match that would bring him out of hiding and into truth.

Today, even we, as busy moms sometimes attempt to hide from God. Most of the time we probably aren’t even aware that we’re caught up in this game. It can happen in several ways.

Our jobs, entertainment, social activities, and even our friends and family provide avenues where we try to bury our energy, our talents, and our time. Before we know it, we’re tired and irritable.

But, just like the childhood game, the results are always the same. Sooner or later, we come face to face with God and realize that he “has found us!”

As for this busy mom, I’m thankful today for a loving God who cares enough about me to slow me down from time to time.