Searching?...

Hide and Go Seek: A lessons we learn as kids

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. (Proverbs 25:2)

Once upon a time (because all good stories start with "once upon a time") growing up one of my favorite games to play with my friends was hide and go seek. Nothing beat spending recess time or a weekend afternoon hiding in the craziest places or finding my friends who thought they could out-smart me by hiding behind a parked car or some other random place. There was something about the thrill of searching after friends in hidden places and being the hidden one - being so still as to not give away my position but ultimately being found because after all... hiding gets boring after a while...

*Fast Forward to Adulthood*

Being at a place in life where you aren't quite sure what the next move in life to make is a lot like playing Hide and Seek with God. God knows all and loves to hide things but He desires us to search out our next steps in life as kings would search for some great thing worthy to be found and revealed. While the search might seem intimidating at times, there are a few things you can be sure of:

His answers are never in a dangerous place. God hates sin. So His answers for your life would never be found chasing those things. Even though His unfailing grace can save us from getting caught up in the wrong things, it's never His desire to seek those things first.

His hiding places are never dangerous but they may be difficult. Sometimes we might have to really really do some searching to find out an answer. This could mean overcoming our own contradictory thoughts, achieving a seemingly impossible goal or obstacle, or even just weathering a storm and giving things time. Like I said before, hiding isn't the funnest thing to do once you've been hiding for a while. Those things that He wants to reveal to you, He really wants you to know!

Finding an answer means seeking in the direction of Him. It's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of options and microwave-ready quick fixes but God's path requires diligent persistence towards Him.

So with that being said... I hope you find what you are searching for! He already knows where it is but it's in a safe place. If all else fails, peep the bonus coverage and get lost!


Bonus Coverage: Mute Math - Control


Take control of the atmosphere
Take me far away from here
There is no better loss than to lose myself in you
In a parachute to glide, I am captive in your sky
Surrender has somehow become so beautiful

Take control of the atmosphere
Take control of the atmosphere
You can take my world you can fill the air
Take control, take control

Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender

Move me up through the darkest clouds
Till I've lost in the sun every shadow of doubt
There is no better find than to find myself with you
In a fog you are all I see
I'm inviting you closer with each time I breathe
Surrender has somehow become so beautiful

Take control of the atmosphere
Take control of the atmosphere
You can take my world you can fill the air
Take control, take control, take control, take control

Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender

Take control of the atmosphere
Take control of the atmosphere
There is no reason I should breathe unless you're in the air
Take control

Such a beautiful surrender
Such a beautiful surrender
And I'm calling out
Would you take control
And I'm calling out

Dormant But Not Dead

"But every seed dies before it grows...

Do you love me enough to let me go?

Do you love me enough to let me go?

To let me follow through

To let me fall for you, my love

Do you love me enough to let me go?"

Switch Foot - Enough to Let Me Go

A couple months ago I went on a spur of the moment road trip with some friends up to Philly. While in the car, I put this CD (Hello Hurricane) on and the car was pretty much silent. Everyone had a chance to individually meditate on the lyrics and melodies and it became almost a surreal, in-car meditative worship experience. Yep, Switchfoot will do that to you.

This song is one of my favorites because it connects on so many levels, it represents true love. Love is not always about being up under someone, or having them long for you. Love is also patient, accepting of space, and allows both individuals to feel comfortable being themselves whether that means being together or apart.

That sounds a lot like Christ's love for us:

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.                                                                      (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8; NIV 2010 edition)

God loves us so much that in order to pay the price of our sins, He sent His only Son to die on our behalf many many years ago. His ministry and His ultimate sacrifice represents the depth of His love for us. It was a seed that was sown long long ago that He desires to see grow some day in all of our hearts and one day bring forth good fruit.

God doesn't push us to love Him nor does He make it an obligation for us to reciprocate His love for us. What He does is love in the shadows. His love is wound up so tightly within that seed within us that when it bursts,  it can't help but bring about good fruit. As the title states, our love towards Christ may be dormant but it's not dead. Even in the death of a seed, there is the expectation and anticipation of new life! Yes He loves us enough to let us go. Yes, He loves us enough to let us follow through on our own and fall in love with the seed He placed in our hearts long, long ago. Love is a two way street and God is fully aware of that. He's going to keep loving you until you're ready to make a move!

Whenever your seed is ready, it'll grow! It's not dead, just dormant.





(Bonus Coverage: Jon Foreman explains "Enough To Let Me Go"):


Jon Foreman- "I was thinking about how love (not just lust or codependency that commonly flood the tunes on the airways) actually involves quite a bit of faith. There's a lot of letting go involved. Two souls in love is an intricate dance of give and take. I can be a fairly solitary person from time to time. Sure, I love being with people, but I also need time alone. I guess I thrive on the poles. So this song is about the dance involved in a relationship the coming together and letting go. The song equates love with breathing- pulling in and releasing. Or a seed, for the seed to grow it has to be dropped and buried.

In our barcode media, love is often portrayed as consumption. As consumers in a commercial driven culture we can begin to view other souls as objects, or potential cures for our deepest fears and insecurities. "Perhaps if I found the right lover I would no longer feel this deep existential despair." But of course no human soul could be the Constant Other, the face that will never go away. Only the infinite can fill that role. But the silence can be deafening. It's a fearful thing to be alone. Do you love me enough to let me go? "I can't live without you"- "I would die if you ever left me"- These are not the songs of love, these are the songs of consumption."