Author: Barbara

My passion is to encourage women wherever they are on their life journey. In everything I write and in every opportunity to speak, my goal is to offer hope. May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

Hide and Seek

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

I remember the laughter and suspense of this game! For me, it was most fun when played outside in the dark. To my mother’s chagrin, we sometimes played it in the house, knocking over chairs and sending clothes to the closet floor.

The rules are simple: the players run off to hide while the seeker covers his eyes, counting to 100, and then calls out, “Ready or not, here I come!” The first hider found is the seeker in the next game, and the last one found is declared the winner.

 It’s fun to watch children play this game, and difficult not to call out hints. But when adults hide from their friends (and to some extent, we all do), it indicates a problem.

What secret embarrasses us? What behavior humiliates us? What action have we not forgiven ourselves for? What sin have we not confessed to God? What shame do we carry?

At the beginning of our hiding, friends may ask what’s wrong. They may probe or even guess, but when we stubbornly remain hidden, they take the hint and keep their distance. God is different.

God is the ultimate Seeker and relentlessly pursues us. He does not search for us with a pointing finger but with open arms. The misery we hide from others is seen by Him. It is not off-putting to Him but rouses His compassion. He longs to forgive, heal, and hold us. We need only to step out of hiding and into His embrace.

Hiding is not a game we can win, and seeking is not an activity God will abandon.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” Jesus, in Matthew 11:28.

Hopscotch

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Do you remember drawing a hopscotch grid on your driveway or playground? We numbered the chalked boxes from one to ten, the tenth being slightly larger and arched to facilitate turning around. We carefully chose a flat stone as our marker because a round one could bounce.

A player tossed her rock into the hopscotch grid and hopped from square to square on one foot, but not in the square with her rock in it. When she reached grid ten, she turned around and hopped back. She once again skipped the square with her rock, but now she paused to pick it up.

The game required agility and balance. It also had a lot of rules:

  • If the tossed stone landed outside the lines, they lost their turn.
  • If a player hopped on the wrong square, they lost their turn.
  • If a player hopped outside the hopscotch grid, they lost their turn.
  • If a player stepped on a line, they lost their turn.
  • If a player put both feet inside a square, they lost their turn.

In light of my Red Rover post, you may wonder if I also find life lessons in Hopscotch. Yes, I do!

  • Keep your eye on the goal—don’t be distracted.
  • Watch your step—God gives us boundaries for a reason.
  • Aim accurately—don’t live carelessly.
  • Progress in an orderly fashion—there are no shortcuts to holiness.
  • Make choices that won’t bounce—choose life tools (stones) that will move you forward and assure victory.

Life’s successes follow those who live within God’s guidelines.

My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.
If you do this, you will live many years,
and your life will be satisfying.
Proverbs 3:1-2

Red Rover, Red Rover

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

For readers too young to remember, Red Rover, Red Rover was a popular childhood game played on many elementary school playgrounds during recess. Kids formed two facing lines, holding hands to form a barrier. One side called out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Johnny come over.” Johnny (or whoever was called) aimed at the two clasped hands he deemed most vulnerable and raced across the opening to break the hold. If he succeeded, he returned to his team, bringing one from the opposition with him. If he failed, he joined the opponent as their captive.

There’s a life illustration here. We belong to a “team,” a group of believers where we are safe, united in friendship and faith. But there is a team opposed to us that wants to lure us to their side, calling our name. This is not a game of Red Rover when the bell rings and we return to the safe atmosphere of the classroom. This is life, and temptation’s taunt is not a game we can easily walk away from. When the Tempter calls, his goal is to entrap us. He knows our name and targets our weaknesses.

We may run toward the temptation and, overconfident in our strength and speed, expect success. But the sad truth is, we risk being roped in. When we are captured, there’s no easy escape, no bell to end our captivity. Our team is weakened by our absence, and it will take another brave soul to risk safety and run into danger to win us back.

We thrive in the safety of our team. It is a place where we can learn and grow, increase in wisdom, and resist temptation’s lure. We need each other.

If you’ve run into danger, reach out to someone you trust and ask for help. If you’re standing strong, offer rescue to a struggling friend.

If another believer is overcome by some sin,
you who are godly should gently and humbly
help that person back onto the right path…
Share each other’s burdens.
Galatians 6:1-2 NLT

Picture from commons.wikimedia.org

When did You Last Read Malachi?

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

You know, the prophet, the last book in the Old Testament. I just read it and was doubly impressed—by Malachi’s no-nonsense approach and blunt candor, and by God’s non-nonsense attitude and extravagant mercy.

These three nuggets spoke deeply to my heart:

  • “‘My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty” (1:11).
    I don’t currently see this, but oh, what longing it stirs in my heart, what anticipation!

  • “Then those who feared [loved] the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In His presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared Him and always thought about the honor of His name” (3:16).
    Our conversation with others who love God is so precious to God that it’s recorded!

  • “For you who fear [love] my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture” (4:2).
    I love that image and the unbridled joy and freedom it represents!

God sees the motives of our hearts and, as warranted, will correct them or reward them. I already mentioned what strikes me most—His extravagant mercy. When we err or withhold our devotion, God gladly reroutes us with generous forgiveness. What a good God!

Photo by Matthieu Rochette on Unsplash