"And the LORD replied, 'He is hiding among the baggage.'" 1 Samuel 10:22b
When Saul was chosen as King, he was nowhere to be found. He was hiding.
How long since you've played "Hide and Seek"? I recall early evening neighbourhood games during the summer months of my childhood. Little voices whispering. Feet scampering to find the perfect hiding place. Barely breathing, wanting to go undetected. Then, the squeals of fun at being found. More recently I've played the game with my 3-year-old grandson. Hiding is still easier with him. Even a blanket covering me as I sit in the middle of the room brings laughter.
Grown-ups most often don't play hide and seek. At least, not for fun.
Maybe someone reading this is hiding now. What 'baggage' have you surrounded yourself with to create a barricade of protection for your heart? Like the physical luggage that bears its name, it comes in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. Shame. Fear. Insecurity. Pride. Appearances. People pleasing. Words. Control. Dressing in a stoic persona, we bear suffering in silence to spare others the pain. We think we're being brave, but we hide too well.
If only we'd realize that getting found keeps us in the game. Robert Fulghum, in his book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten", speaks of the adult version of this adolescent play. He writes about, "Wanting to hide. Needing to be sought. Confused about being found. 'I don't want anyone to know', 'What will people think?' 'I don't want to bother anyone.'"
In reality, nobody truly wants to be left alone. Regardless of what their actions are saying, deep down they want to be found, but maybe they are afraid that no-one will care enough to keep looking. There is an even deeper ache of loneliness that accompanies never being found.
Where and what are you hiding today? The Lord is calling, "olly-olly-oxen-free, come out, come out wherever you are." Hiding takes so much energy. A secret can either be a promise or a prison and "the power of a secret lies not in its keeping, but in its revelation." (From "A Lifetime of Secrets")
I love that God's Word says that He came to SEEK and to save the lost, Luke 19:10. God is all about finding. A lost sheep. A lost coin. A prodigal child. We cannot hide from God. We might be experts at concealing truth from others, but Hebrews 4:13 says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
Will you do me a favour today? If you are hiding among the baggage like Saul, will you ask the Lord for courage to be found? I'm not saying it is easy. Maybe years have stolen so much of life from you that hiding has become all you know and the fear of exposure is so great. "But, the day came, when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" (Anais Nin). Don't let your heart be held captive any longer by the lies in your mind. Healing can't happen while hiding. The pain will only increase as you bury yourself in seclusion.
When playing "Hide and Seek", I remember trying to make myself as small as possible so I wouldn't be seen. Friend, it's time to live BIG. Today's the beginning of a new game. So, to all who have hidden too well, get found. Olly-olly-oxen-free!
Quote: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum, Publisher Ivy Books, copyright 1989
Quote: A Lifetime of Secrets, by Frank Warren, Publisher William Morrow, copyright 2007
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