It’s a favorite among the littles in my life!

“Let’s play it again! But this time you hide!”

It’s fun, and the occasional “Surprise” brings shrieks of laughter and joy.

I love to see their eyes light up when they are “found” or they “find” me!

A child’s game brings smiles.

But hide and seek in real life tears down.

Hide and seek between husband and wife, child and parent, friend and friend destroys.

Maybe the excuse is that we are trying to protect the other from hurt.

Maybe the rationale is that it won’t hurt to keep another in the dark.

Maybe the justification is that there is no need for them to know.

Maybe it is fear blended with pride – not wanting another to see our flaws, our struggles.

Be it child and parent, friend to friend, and especially husband and wife, those actions are actually intended to protect the one hiding, to allow him or her to continue a pattern that may be harmful to themselves or to one who “seeks” to know the other.

But we were never meant to play the game of hide and seek in real life, to play the role of deceiver, behind an impenetrable wall built to keep anyone who might stand in the way of our favorite “hiding place” – be it a present activity or a past shame.

Children are a gift from the Lord; parents a guard and protection when their vision is cloudy.

True friends desire our best and will speak the truth in love even when we don’t want to hear it. They will stand by us in the dark night of the soul even if we shut them out.

Likewise and even more so, husbands and wives are to be our delights but also our greatest warriors when we are blinded; those who love us more than any other and who are most deeply affected when we play the game and can be even more grieved when we retreat or when we respond in anger at their concern.

God didn’t call us to life in the shadows.

He didn’t call us to walk alone.

He didn’t call us to anonymity.

He called us to freedom and repentance that “times of refreshing might come.” (Acts 3:20)

He called us to walk in newness of life. (Colossians 3:10)

He called us to die to self and stop hiding. (Colossians 3:9)

He called us to walk together as “children of light” not darkness (Ephesians 5:8), encouraging, exhorting, and forgiving one another.

And, out of His great love for us, if we choose to hide, He will bring light into our concealed places for our greatest good.

We were never meant to isolate, to hide.

When we do, we often miss the blessing of being loved through our weakness.

We lose having one who will mutually encourage and provide the iron sharpening iron relationship we were created to enjoy and that which God intends if we are truly to grow in grace.

Hide and seek with children brings laughter and joy, delight.

Hide and seek with people we love in life brings nothing but sadness and breaks relationship.

There is freedom and joy in knowing and being known. It’s hard at times but so worth it.

Let’s put aside childish games and enjoy the people God put in our lives as gifts.

Let’s recognize and trust their love for us.

Let’s start talking and listening to one another instead of hiding!

Then let’s watch what God will do!