Being A Child of God | An Everyday Devotional About Hide and Seek

Today I’m talking about being a child of God and the affection He has for us. This is an “everyday devotional.” A mundane moment in my very ordinary life, seen through a Christ-centered lens. I believe when we view our life as anecdotes of God’s grace, we will see His stories all around us. Grab your coffee (or water) and come into my messy, under-construction house (and life.)

We Play A Lot of “Hide” At My House.

For the last few months Gideon (now just over 2) has been really into playing “hide.” It’s adorable. He wants to get under any piece of fabric or pillow in the house. It’s never a good hiding place. Usually I’m the one to cover him up. He’ll tell me he wants to “HI-HEE” while pointing to a blanket. Translation: “Hide, here.”

Once covered, he’ll proclaim from under the blankets, “Ma, yook.” Translation: Mom, pretend to look all over, then find me.

Like I said, it’s adorable. It can also get old. But it’s mostly adorable.

Recently though, he’s wanted Derek or me to hide with him. Sometimes he’ll want the other parent to look and find–sometimes he just wants to be under the blankets and whisper.

Hiding With Gideon

A few days ago I was playing hide with Gideon. We were under the covers on my bed. The sheets with a faded blue stripe were perfectly diffusing the morning light. My arm was propping up the sheet to create a nice tent for us. Perfectly hidden from the outside world, but with plenty of room to play.

He rolled around and crawled to the deepest dark at the foot of the bed. Eventually that wore him out and he became still. He rested his head on my arm (not the tenting arm), played with a toy car and talked quietly to himself. He didn’t want me to move, just to stay there, hiding with him.

It struck me in that moment that I was completely and utterly happy with what was happening. My heart was so full. I could have watched him forever under the soft glow of the sheets. He is completely captivating to me. I love the way his hands look when he holds a toy. How his voice sounds. The way he rolls his eyes when he is thinking hard. The way he smiles with his whole face.

I love that I speak “fluent Giddy.” I can decipher full sentences from his fragmented syllables and hand gestures. Like every mom, my list could go on for a long time, but I’ll stop here.

This bottomless well of affection is something I could never have fully grasped until I became a mom. I liked kids. But I didn’t consider myself a “kid person.” This affinity I have for Gideon is totally different–and foreign to me.

It struck me as we laid there in peace, hiding from the world. I am just so happy when he wants to be with me. It’s an honor to my heart for him to want me near.

I basked in that truth. Me. A girl who never thought she was the marrying type–let alone the momming type–turning to mush under the bed sheets because a two year old wants her. What a humbling, satisfying truth.

Hiding With God | Being A Child of God

But there’s a deeper truth to be seen here. A truth about being a child of God.

As I laid there, I could hear God’s sweet voice speaking to my heart in the stillness.

That feeling that I have toward Gideon. That heart-bursting, stomach-melting love. Those feelings pale in comparison to God’s desire for us. For all ways I know Gideon–God knows us deeper. He can discern our mixed up thoughts and words and fragmented sentences. If I can understand Gideon’s words through tears and tantrum, God can understand our words through the deepest heartache and loudest storm.

For all the ways I celebrate Gideon’s triumphs and the things that he is learning and how he is growing–God rejoices with our victories even more. He roots us on and loves to see us learn and grow.

If I bask in moments of stillness with my child, God craves time with us with a hunger we’ll never understand this side of eternity.

God wants nothing more than for us to invite Him to hide with us. To invite Him into our secret places. To talk, or play, or just be still and be with Him.

If I know how my heart threatens explosion to be near my child, I can only imagine how God–the Creator of all, Author of life, Good Father–feels when we want to spend time with Him. Being a child of God means God loves us fiercely, in the purest, deepest ways. Being a child of God means you are wanted by the One who matters most. You are desired, valued, known.

I’m challenging you today. Invite God to hide with you. Bring Him into a secret space in your heart. Whether you talk, or listen, or just be still is up to you.

Please find me on Facebook or Instagram to join a community of awesome people aiming to live lives of intentionality, seeing the world through a Christ-centered lens. And if this post struck a chord with your heart, I’d love if you shared. Thanks for reading.

Read More Here