It seems that one of life’s favorite games to play with us is ‘hide and seek’. Life wants to play this game with us often, in different ways with varying degrees of difficulty.
“Where are my keys?” is one of the most frequent versions of the game that life plays. Glasses, wallets, pens, or TV remotes are also used in this version. Life distracts us at just the right moment so that something ends up not in its usual spot and consequently we can’t find it. Apparently, life thinks it’s funny to hide these things and watch us search high and low for them. This version is usually played with us at home, work or sometimes in the car and usually has a successful outcome for us – after a modicum of frustration.
A more complicated version is played with file cabinets, ‘safe’ hiding places, or computer storage. We put that important document (paper or electronic) in the most logical place in the file, but when we want to retrieve it, it’s not there. So, the hunt begins. The degree of difficulty in this version depends on the length of time since life has hidden the document and the size of the area where it could be found. We typically do find it eventually, but seldom without repeated rifling through many papers or computer files. And how often does life hide something that we put in a special place for safe keeping? It’s almost like life is trying to keep it safe even from us! In this version of the game, life seems to be mocking us.
Then periodically life goes beyond misplacing things to actually losing them. An earring falls off or a jacket gets left behind. These scenarios involve seeking, but not always finding. This version of the game is also played when you move. Something inevitably gets lost during the process and may never be found. In this version, life shows a little of its meaner side because of the length and futility of the searching we do. Although this version of the game may be annoying, it can be winnable. Miracles do happen and things that are lost do get found on occasion.
Life shows its meanest side by hiding the most important things from us. Indispensable things like love, peace, companionship, deliverance, or other essential elements may elude us at times. And our seeking for them can result in much disappointment. We can’t always prevent life from hiding these things from us, but there are steps we can take to help us find them.
In just about everything we do, there are basic steps which can be mastered and applied to complex situations. Let’s use the misplaced keys for an example. Anger clouds our judgement and impatience overshadows our logic. These two things actually hinder our search. Either of these attitudes can cause us to ransack our house and affect disorder, which does not help us find our keys. We must keep them under control.
Furthermore, complacency interferes with our seeking. The attitude that the keys will find themselves with no effort from us, is an unrealistic expectation. This may be apparent to us in this illustration, but maybe not so clear with regard to weightier matters. We cannot just sit and wait for success to come to us. We must act.
Another thing that never works is quitting. This might seem obvious but think of the times discouragement has thwarted our progress. When this happens, we have two options; give up or push through. The decision made at this point makes all the difference. When we push through, we have a chance of succeeding. When we give up, we have no chance. And if we quit, who knows if our next step would have revealed the location of the missing keys?
So, those are some things that don’t work, but what does?
First of all, whenever we are in seeking mode, we must maintain a positive expectation of finding. This may not be too hard when looking for our keys because we know that they have to be there somewhere. But what about seeking love? Since love is not something we can see with our eyes, we might not be so confident that it is there. But it is! The Bible says that God is love. So, where God is, love is. Wherever we are seeking, love is there because God is everywhere. Thus, we can allay that doubt. The same is true for peace or joy or whatever quality we need in our lives. The promises of God are true, and we can depend on them and remain steadfast in our quest.
We must also remember to seek patiently. Life is very skilled at the game of hiding things. I would go so far as to say that life is an expert hider. So, if we don’t find what we’re looking for right away, we simply remind ourselves that we are up against a shrewd expert and keep seeking with the expectation of successfully finding our needed answer. Life may be an expert at hiding things, but with God’s help we can be superlative finders!
Some other steps to help us in our pursuit of life’s hidden treasures are having an organized strategy, using the right tools for the job, and maintaining relentless determination. God will help us with all of these. God guides our steps; prayer the BEST tool for any job; and “if God be for us, who can be against us?”
Whether life has hidden your TV remote or a much needed job, practicing these steps in your search will help you win life’s game of ‘hide and seek’. Life may be a formidable opponent, but it is no match for you with God on your side! We can beat life at its own game!!
Note to my readers: It’s mid-January 2021 already! Time flies! And time also has a way of healing our wounds. Let’s believe together for a wonderful year ahead. Thanks for being here!