Seek and Find

All kids love the game of Hide and Seek. It is a childhood favorite. It's fun to watch little ones play because they never stay hidden long enough to be found. As soon as the counter says the famous words,"Ready or not here I come," they spring from their hiding place giggling uncontrollably. The game then turns into a great game of tag. The older you get, no one wants to be it because it can take awhile to find the ones hiding. Hiding places get better and silence is a must. This leaves the seeker feeling lost, alone and somewhat insecure. "Are they playing a trick on me?" "Am I walking right past them but I can't see them?" So of course this got me to thinking. I realized how blessed we are that God is not hiding. He clearly says in Jerimiah 29:13 "And you will seek Me and findl Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." God is not hiding from you or me. He is just waiting for a relationship with us. He wants to be known by His children. I love the story of the prodigal son. When the father sees his son coming from a distance, he runs to him. It didn't matter where he had been or what he had done. This was his son and he had come home. Take a step towards your Heavenly Father and He will meet you where you are. We serve a good God. We serve a faithful and loving God. When you find Him, you will not be disappointed.

Dig In

Well the Bean Family just got back from a two week vacation. We had an amazing time on this trip! During our time on South Padre Island, we spent many hours on the beach. Wow!!! God is so amazing in His Creation. He blows my mind on a regular basis. The sunrises and sunsets were breath taking. One of our most favorite activities was collecting shells of all kinds. We found all shapes, sizes and colors. But there was one shell in particular that drew my interest. This shell went unnoticed by most people. If you walked by and didn't pay close attention, they would look like the millions of other shells that covered the beach. But when you looked closely these particular shells would turn on end and bury themselves back in the sand before the wave would come again and wash it to the surface. This would happen over and over with every roll of the ocean. I saw a characteristic in these shells that I believe we should all share. Determination! Life happens to all of us. Good times and bad times alike. For me, the waves represented the tough times that we all face. Just when we feel secure and comfortable something comes along and knocks us upside the head. We are left feeling scattered and alone. These shells have a different response to the waves than many of us do. As soon as the wave headed out to sea the shell quickly dug back in. I find many Christians do the complete opposite. As soon as they have a moment of trouble, they start the blame game. They turn from God or they turn on God. They allow relationships to go sour. They remain defeated. But God wants His kids to turn to Him in times of trouble. Dig In! Turn to the one who understands what you are facing. Seek His face and He will bring peace in the midst of your storm. Stuff will happen that you never saw coming. But you can't let it keep you down. Don't run from God but run to Him. He wants to comfort you and guide you but you have to choose. Be determined and DIG IN!