Hide and Seek

When our kids were little they loved to play Hide and Seek. They loved it so much that they would hide whenever they felt like it, and expect me to be thrilled with the task of finding them. Every. Stinking. Time.

At first they would just take off and hide with no warning, and they were really good at it; we had an old house with lots of small spaces and they could fold themselves into nothing and wait very patiently for me find them. Only after I had uncovered them would they scream with the delight of being found. I would make a big deal of discovering them, picking them up and loving and kissing on my babies.

Eventually this Momma got smarter and only allowed one round of the game, and it was played on the way to naps every afternoon. This became a daily reminder to my children that I would go anywhere, to any length to find them, and I would be thrilled every single time. What better way to signal time for rest and revival than being found by someone who loves you?

It occurred to me that we each have a deep need to hide and to be found, to be seen as worthy of the hunt. I can’t imagine that someone loves my children more than I do, but I know that God never tires of finding us and wants to hear our giggles of delight as He reaches down and uncovers us from our hiding places.

What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:12-14