July 31, 2006 @ 6:09 am | Filed under: Family

“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)

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          “Okay, you count and I will go hide and then you can find me!” 

          My niece,two-and-a half-years-old at the time, 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!”

          And so it was. 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 man has been playing “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 we attempt to hide from God 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.

          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!"

          My niece – along with her younger sister – have all but outgrown Hide and Seek. Sure, they still play, but now they prefer the more sophisticated game of…Tag. (Oh, the analogies we could draw from that game!)

          Hopefully, like my nieces, I’ve learned that hiding is never the answer and that truth is where the real adventure lies. It’s comforting to know that He knows exactly where I am and that He loves me in all of my imperfections and in spite of all my weaknesses.