Hide-and-Seek
Today my friend Teri and I played our second round of hide-and-seek with God. Let me explain....Last year at about this time my amazing friend, Teri, asked me to play this game with her. She wanted to practice hearing the voice of God. She waited for about an hour while I went and hid anywhere within the city of Winnipeg and then she came to look for me, praying that God would direct her. Teri followed the exact same path that I had walked until she found me. It was amazing! Such a huge faith builder!
The rules of the game are:
-you cannot leave the city of Winnipeg (no crossing the perimeter)
-you can take any number of buses to get to your hiding destination
-once you find your hiding spot, you can't leave until they find you or until the pre-arranged time limit is reached (this is not tag, you have to stay in the same spot)
*The point of this hide-and-seek with God is to practice hearing God's voice - literally!*
This year, it was my turn to search. I was actually feeling really vulnerable. I knew that I could totally not do this on my own and that I would have to listen and wait to hear the voice of God.
I started off at Starbuck's on Broadway and read my Bible, journaled and prayed while Teri went to hide. After about an hour I got up and went in search of my friend. What a journey it was!!! I ended up all over the city taking a total of 4 buses, walking for about two hours, having an interesting conversation with two young Mormons, having a woman pull down her pants and pee right beside me (she was intoxicated) and having interesting chats with some homeless people. It was not only an interesting journey physically but it also taught me a lot about myself (both good and bad).
In the end, I found Teri by the grace, and with the help of, God. She was hiding in my park. I call it my park because it's the park I always go for dates with Jesus in. It was one of my last destinations. It didn't cross my mind that she would be there at all! The cool thing about this game is that every time we've played it, the person hiding has hid in a place that is dear to the person searching's heart. Without even knowing it. God knows us so intimately! It blows my mind!
There's so much more to say but I don't know what else to write. Ironically.
God taught me a lot today. I want to fully embrace this "journey" of life. I so desire the end results of things that I want to forgo the journey and just reach the end. I need to walk through the obstacles, joys, and blah blah blah of all that God has for me. I don't want to be so preoccupied with what the future has to hold that I miss the here and now. I want the future (both on this earth and Eternity) to encourage, inspire and bring life to where I'm walking now. I don't want to run ahead of myself or ahead of God.
Thank you JESUS for who You are! Thank you for speaking! Thank you for playing! Thank you for teaching! AMEN.
posted by Stephanie @ 10:07 PM
4 Comments:
Hey that's a really cool game. That WOULD be scarey but fun too. I want to play sometime:)
I think it was C.S.Lewis that said (and I'm paraphrasing!) That it is in the moments when we are truly present in the here and now that we feel God's presence. It's so true, when you walk your journey and take the time to be present in it, God's is so close you could touch him! I never would have thought to take such a huge leap of faith like you guys did! My church speaks another language (if you will)... We think of trusting God in a much more "inside your brain" sort of way. Very interesting for me to see this literal translation. I'm inspired.
What a HUGE faith builder. I love it, you rock!
The first time my friend mentioned this game to me i was like "hmm...is this testing God? cause that's bad" and then after I prayed about it and we talked it over it made sense and sat well with me. After the second time of "playing" this "game" I realize that it's good. God loves it when we interact and "play" with Him!
It blows my mind though! I've never thought of listening to God's voice or trusting Him to be quite that literal and/or accessible.
It's moments like those that make my faith grow even bigger and reveal my hearts true understanding of God. I didn't think He would speak to me. I didn't trust Him to "pull through". Adn He did!
I totally encourage you guys to try it out. If not in the form of a city wide hide-and-seek game, then in the simple tasks of day to day life.
You ladies are AWESOME! Ruth, I love those moments of feeling God SO CLOSE that you can almost touch Him. Almost taste the sweetness of Him. Awesome!
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