My kids love to hide. When they hear the garage door open each night, they immediately go find a place to hide and then wait for their Daddy to find them. My 6 year old has gotten pretty good hiding and staying quite, but my 2 year old...not so much! There is something so exciting in being found, in being discovered, in being sought after!
As grown ups, I think the hiding switches from physical to emotional. I know for me, it is sometimes easier to hide my frustration or hurt feelings than to risk being misunderstood or causing conflict. I am a go-with-the-flow/easy-going person 99% of the time. When that other 1% comes up, it feels so out of character and so scary to speak the truth and voice my opinion or concerns. Hiding feels safer. What if the person on the receiving end chooses not to find the real me? What if they don't really hear what I have to say or understand how I am feeling?
Not that hiding is necessarily the best thing to do, but it tends to be my go-to defense. But what if we surrounded ourselves with people who sought us out, who took the time to truly hear us and know us? What if we became that person to others? Are there people in your life who may be hiding and desperately long to be found?
Rather than be ashamed at an emotion or feeling and hide it, have the courage to let it be known. Have faith that the people you love, really do love and and care for you and want to know the real you, the you that God created you to be...opinions, feelings, and all!
Mary Rice Hopkins: Miracle Walking--From ICU to Life
12 years ago
