Jesus was not good at “Hide and Seek.”
“While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you.” Mark 1:35-37
He just wanted space. solitude. time to hear God’s voice pierce the silence. So he sought it.
But, soon enough, he was found. And his “alone” time ceased. Why didn’t he make sure he wouldn’t be found? Certainly, there had to be a cave or some other perfectly located piece of landscape that could have provided hidden refuge.
If you want to hide, you can’t make yourself available to be sought. But, therein lies the rub. We are called to do both.
Messy is hard. I for one prefer clearly marked appointed times to mark the rhythms of my days. Like bars on a score. But following Jesus doesn’t work like that because he didn’t work like that. Even Jesus made himself available to move at the discretion of his father.
As a parent, those two realities are constantly blurring. When do I seek out time alone? When do I sacrifice my agenda for the sake of being a Jesus incarnated presence?
Now that my children are older, the line is still blurry. But I have come to realize that sometimes I can hide in plain sight. I can find solitude in the midst of the chaos. I can also teach others that maybe I’m not the one for whom they seek. God can use others to meet their needs.
Jesus constantly traveled between these two places. In the midst, he pointed others to God when they were searching for Him. If he could find peace in this messy reality, so can I.
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I think when Jesus rose again
He must have felt some glee,
incognito, then vanishing when
recognized; “It’s Me!”
There had to be some fun involved
in suddenly appearing,
how the Apostles’ heads revolved
surely was endearing.
A Life laid down, then taken up
is a special kind of thing.
He drank fully from the cup,
and thus He’d taken wing.
The God we needed, the second chance
is truly Lord Of The Dance.
Yes to all of this!
This was such a message I needed to hear today. I have been feeling pulled in 25 different directions and today was especially frustrating because I wanted to get work done but was interrupted by people who needed me to answer a question or support them during a mental struggle or just talk through a task to make sure it was done correctly. And everything took so long. But, when I look back, the tasks were not what was needed from me today. My words and care and love and hopefully my representing Jesus’ love and grace was more needed today. Thanks for reminding me that sometimes other things are more important than our to-do list.
So good, and so very true!
THIS: “If he could find peace in this messy reality, so can I.” So true! Be still!