I don’t like to brag, but I have mad hide-and-seek skills. It’s one of my favorite games.
When the children were younger, we played it a lot.
Mommy, go hide!
I’d grab a Snickers and settle in for a good, long hide. They’ll never find me here. I guess it was a little mean, considering they were preschoolers, but I was working on developing critical thinking, observation, and perseverance. They’ll thank me in a couple of decades, I’m sure.
I was also pretty good at hiding from other moms.
I sought empty playgrounds.
Small talk made me a little crazy (still does). With nearly depleted resources, I had no energy to pour into pretending. So, I worked hard to evade conversation with other moms.
I just wanted to be alone.
Looking back, I wonder what that was all about. Life wasn’t easy. We plodded through some difficult times. I struggled with depression. My husband lost his job. The children were wild. I just couldn’t handle the nonsense, so I hid.
But, He sought me.
He knew my heart and my hiding place. He saved me in the midst of the trial and equipped me with tools to nurture my children. He blessed me with a loving family, a beloved sister, and a handful of trusted friends. They’d sit with me, and wouldn’t force me out, and loved me through the valleys.
Seasons of hiding and seeking. Yes. But, our Father never hides. He’s always seeking, and that is grace, friends. Grace abounds even in the toughest seasons. For me, grace abounded in young motherhood. God led me through, provided necessities, and taught me much about grace. He taught me about His grace, but also He taught me many lessons of how to be gracious through others’ graciousness.
I don’t hide as much these days, or at least, not with the same kind of fervor or desperation.
I work to seek Him and ask Him to show me the hiding ones. Ones who, like me, need gentleness, quiet acknowledgement in the rough patches of life, encouragement to stay the course and remain faithful in trial. In seeking our Father, the One Who knows and understands all things, we exhibit our trust in Him. And He loves this, will never abandon us, and revives our tired hearts.
Amen.
… you who seek God, let your hearts revive. (Psalm 69:32)
Author: Melissa Bronson
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