On Hide & Seek and The Glory of God

My mission this week has been to purpose myself to be grateful in ALL things. I realized last week that I was missing all of the gems God had placed in my life because my focus was on the difficult things. My spirit was one of whininess and self-pity, which not only made me an absolute delight to be around (note sarcasm), but also kept me flat blinded to all the good He had placed before me. So through the urging of and partnering with a dear friend, I committed alongside her to choose to find something to be grateful about in each circumstance of life this week. It has been a game-changer. My heart towards my kids has been so much softer, I have been gracing my husband with more genuine smiles, and even in the moments that have held hurt or pain I have been able to find something to be thankful for. I'm seeing so many things to be thankful for, the things that were there all along but I wasn't looking for them. Perhaps because I'm looking hard, I'm seeing--really SEEING--all the lovely and quiet ways God is weaving himself into my days.

There's a verse in the Bible that is one I once loved but I had forgotten, and it came to mind this week in my purposing a thankful heart.

"It is the glory of God to conceal himself, and the glory of kings to seek him out." ~Proverbs 25:2

I so love how God chooses to hide himself in the midst of our story, showing his glory by intentionally placing easter eggs of his very self throughout our days...and beckoning us to search for them. Hide and seek is a favorite game in our house...and of course the glory of the "hiders" is to find the best possible spot so the seeker has to work hard to find you. The glory of the seeker, though, is in their tenacity to keep searching and leaving no rock (or bedsheet) unturned until they find the one they are looking for. How lovely that our God has hidden himself in our homes and workspace and amongst the aisles of the markets we shop and along the roads we drive. Are we looking? Do we have eyes to see him...or are we so caught up in bitterness or frustration or disappointment that we miss him completely? I have missed him too many times, and my own heart (along with the hearts of those around me) has suffered for it. In purposing to seek out thankfulness I am purposing to live in the glory God has intended for me...that of a seeker of Him. Like a child on the hide-and-seek hunt, may I be innocent in heart of matters regarding bitterness and discontent. Instead, may I close my eyes, count to 10, and yell out as loud as I can, "READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" And perhaps with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, my God quietly responds, "Good child, I am waiting for you to come find me."

Humbled in Love,