Some folks just make ya wanna hug them… Today’s guest blogger is just one of those such people! My dear friend Dawn is not only a talented writer, but also a sweet and loving daughter of Christ. Show her some love as she shares a smidge of her Jesus heart with us today!
Loving me some Jesus in the everyday,
SGK
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“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Hiding his eyes behind two pudgy hands, my toddler grandson starts counting. “One, two, three, four, five…” His excitement builds and he rushes, “Eight – nine – ten…here I come!” He’s now in hot pursuit of his slightly older sister. Oh, how he thrills in the pursuit.
He searches all the obvious spots—behind the couch or the chair, under the kitchen table, or behind a closed door—and calls her by name. Barely unable to contain her giggles, his sister stays hidden until she just can’t stand it anymore and yells, “I’m here! I’m here!” And willingly, she becomes the pursuer.
We still play Hide-N-Seek—you and I—only it’s not as obvious.
Sometimes we hide from one another. We hide inside our houses, within our busyness, or behind our Facebook statuses. We’d rather appear “put together” than risk revealing our true selves or admitting our neediness. And, when others seek us and find us, we’re always quick to answer, “I’m here and I’m just fine.”
We hide from God, too. We don’t physically hide behind the living room furniture or closed doors, but we might miss a few days of quiet time, barely crack open our Bibles, and leave little room in our days for prayer until we completely veil our hearts from God’s presence.
Why do we do hide? I can’t answer that for anyone but myself. I guess sometimes I hide because I don’t want my weaknesses confirmed by others or God and I fear rejection by both. (Gulp! Big risk right there).
But here’s what I’ve found to be true: God never plays hide-n-seek. No, God never hides from us. In fact, the Bible says God can always be found by those who seek Him:
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”Jeremiah 29:13
“I love those who seek me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 8:17
God created us for relationship—with Him and one another—because that’s how He lives within the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
How do we seek relationship with others or God?
- Be intentional—connections don’t just happen. Deliberately set a specific time and place to meet.
- Be consistent—relationships flourish the more regularly you meet together.
The result?
- Intimacy—you build trust as the relationship grows and sharing more intimate heart issues comes naturally.
- Freedom—as intimacy grows, you’re free to be who you are; who God created you to be.
- Release—when you realize who you truly are—who God created you to be—you’re released from others’ expectations and set free to soar in God’s purpose for you.
I’m ready to stop hiding and seek God and others, today. How about you?
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Dawn Aldrich is a children’s author, inspirational blogger, and T V host of Penn’s Pals. She enjoys her roles as wife, mother, grandmother and daughter of the King. Dawn enjoys her family, four seasons, dark chocolate, and sharing her God stories. You can connect with Dawn via her blog or check out her book or her TV website.
