Peekaboo: I See You, The Real You

When you're a 1-year-old, peekaboo just never seems to get old. Our granddaughter Kinley finds everything from bowls to blankets to staircases to engage in endless games of peekaboo. She is repeatedly delighted to discover that we're still there, waiting to find her.

Like most children, Kinley thinks that if her head is covered up, she can't be seen. As I did with my own children, I often include a questioning session during our peekaboo games: Did Kinley go to Stafford? Did she go to Iowa to see Grandma Christy and Grandpa Alan? Did she go to the grocery store? Did she go to church? Is she visiting her friend Henry?

So it's all the more exciting for her when she uncovers her head, and she reveals that, no, she didn't go anyplace at all. She's right there with me.

As I thought about one of our latest peekaboo sessions, I realized something:  I'm sometimes not so different from Kinley. I can get "covered up" with life. Everything from this winter's latest persistent virus to feeling overwhelmed with work can be a wet blanket on my life. On those days, I am much more included to focus on my shortcomings, my unfinished tasks and unmet expectations. I feel the weight of that blanket dragging me down. 

But when I am covered up with those things (which are often self-imposed, by the way), God is there patiently waiting. Just like I'm there to "find" Kinley during peekaboo, God is there to find me. When I choose to hide, He draws near to me. He pursues me. He loves me anyway.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

Psalm 139:1-4

He is the God who sees me. 
Not for what I do, but for who I truly am. 
He is delighted in me (even when I'm not so delighted with myself).

The 23rd Psalm is a familiar word picture "song" that tells us that God is always there. Many of us know the King James version by heart. But look at a Message translation for Psalm 23, Verse 6:

Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life. (Psalm 23:6 – Message)

That's not a game. Instead, it's a wonderful promise. 

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February is a wonderful time for showing love for our family and friends as we celebrate Valentine's Day. Click on the links for some ideas for some special treats that are sure to make people feel extra-special.

 Decadent Glazed Chocolate Torte

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Valentine Cake Balls