Playing Hide and Seek

Tony Campolo tells of a rabbi's child who was playing hide-and-seek with some children.  She went away and hid herself.  But the other children decided to be mean.  While she was hiding, they ran away and left her behind.

When the little girl realized she had been abandoned by her friends, she came running home and threw herself into her father's arms and cried, "Daddy, I was hiding and nobody tried to find me!"  The father hugged his daughter and said, "God understands.  He understands much more than you realize."

This was a fresh thought for me. Is God frustrated when I don't seek him out?  Is he patiently waiting for me to pursue him with heart, soul and mind, wanting me to experience delight in the discovery? Is he in the ordinary of each day, waiting for my eyes to catch a glimpse of him, to smile with the joy of sensing his presence?  My Mom used to call this "God Sightings".

Just this past weekend, where snow or frost is often covering the ground, I discovered a yellow rose bush actually blooming outside a restaurant. I had to stop and admire this surprising growth in winter.

Yesterday at school, a Kindergarten child was banging noisily with a stick on a hollow metal tube. The noise suddenly sounded to my ears like music.  I sang with her rhythm and together we explored other objects to find pitch and make music together.

The sun broke through the clouds, shining it's warmth on my face. I found myself smiling and breathing deeply as the children played around me.

I became aware of a sad child sitting alone along the wall.  As I sat with him, he was able to speak of his feelings. I felt a peaceful presence in that moment, as I found gentle words to speak in response.

Later in the day, as the Grade one children played their sticks and bells, I had a sudden memory. I had made those bells on sticks ten years ago and then they had collected dust. What could be more perfect for the present moment than bells on sticks to match the lumni sticks?  More joy in my heart.

Back in late fall, I had "randomly" ordered instruments, taking whatever was still available for loan. The chime tree that arrived just last week, was now the perfect percussion addition for the choir song.  Who would have known that?  I had to smile once again. Was I playing hide-and-seek with God all day long? Is this what every day should look like?

Anxiety and worry seem to keep pushing in, crowding out peace and joy. I want to keep this picture in my mind, of looking for God hiding in my day, of him waiting patiently to have me intentionally search for him.  Maybe the joy found in the discovery will encourage my anxious heart enough to trust for the tomorrows.

I so desire to see how he will unravel the problems that threaten those I deeply love. I can't do their searching in their place, though I can share my stories.  My memories from yesterday alone are encouraging me now to believe that God is in every situation, no matter how hard it seems.  He's waiting to be sought and desiring to be found.