Like children playing hide-and-seek, much of life is a search for something or someone. You have opened this message, hoping to find what you need for today. I am writing to you because I am searching for meaning and purpose. How can we use the metaphor of a children’s game to help find what we seek?
Note about the image: These are cases of fireworks from my husband’s many purchases. This time of the year typically involves searching for a specific item among the many boxes.
My Mysterious Mind
During “grandson camp” we traveled with four boys to visit their great-grandparents. My husband’s mother, soon to be 93, lives in a small apartment. I was apprehensive about visiting there with boys ages 8, 5, 5, and 15-months. The only spaces available for their energetic bodies were the small kitchen, hallway, and living room. Their default way of entertaining themselves, i.e., wrestling, was not advisable. How could they be kept occupied AND out of trouble during our visit?
I suggested they play a game of hide-and-seek that involved hiding an object, not hiding themselves. I remember playing this “Hot and Cold” game as a child when visiting my grandparents. One child hides an object and guides the other children by giving temperature readings of hotter or colder depending on the distance to the hidden object. If a seeker is extremely close to the object the temperature readings accelerate in pace and increase in intensity, such as, “You’re getting hotter. Hot! Hot! Hot! You’re burning up!” Whoever finds the object becomes the next person to hide it.
This simple game entertained me as a child, and it worked with three rambunctious grandsons in a cramped apartment. The only complication was the 8-year-old wanting to hide the object so well no one could find it; he didn’t want to give temperature readings to help the other boys. Without these hints to guide the others, the search was typically unsuccessful and frustrating, and their default of wrestling resulted.
Which got me thinking about life and searching for what we want or need. Perhaps life is a bit like the simple game of Hot and Cold. When there are no clues to follow or a voice to guide our search, the quest can be restless and disappointing. Furthermore, if what we seek is far away, we’re cold. It’s better to be near what we need, to be hot instead of cold.
Where in your life are you feeling cold instead of hot? What are you seeking but having difficulty finding? Are you having trouble hearing the One providing the guidance? The lens of a simple child’s game of hide-and-seek might reveal answers to a life with less searching and more finding.
Message of Mystery Acres
One of my five-year-old grandsons has a favorite activity at Mystery Acres: looking for rocks. The private road along the side of our property is covered with rocks, and not just gravel; these rocks are from a creek. During our recent “grandson camp” we went rock-hunting; I suggested we take the road. With two dogs on leashes, walking the road is far easier than navigating through the underbrush of the forest. There are also fewer ticks and no poison ivy.
The eight-year-old came along for the adventure. Soon the five-year-old’s pockets were so full of rocks his shorts were at risk of falling off completely. I suggested we leave piles of rocks along the way, ones we could retrieve on the return trip. The first cache of rocks was dumped near some yellow flowers. Within a few minutes there were additional clusters of rocks collected and placed along the route.
Some rocks were chosen for their color, with hues of pink or green. Others were selected because of their stripes or shape. There were rocks of varying sizes, some with what appeared to be fossils.
Turning around, we watched for the collections so we could gather our riches. I offered the front of my t-shirt as a holding pocket for the weighty treasures. Each bunch of rocks had been left near some identifying marker. One pile of rocks he insisted be placed in the middle of the road. Surprisingly, we found all the rocks, even the ones left amongst the other rocks on the road. He knew what he was looking for and which clusters were on the right, the left, or in the middle.
I asked my husband to take a picture of us and our treasures. Then we found an appropriate tree at whose base we could place the gathered stones. There are other trees with groupings of rocks beside them from previous trips to the forest. The porch of the cabin also has a box of such treasures.
The message of Mystery Acres is about finding what you seek. My grandson loves to look for rocks. I go with him to find joy. The piles of rocks at the base of trees or in boxes on the cabin porch may not look like treasure to anyone else. But to my grandson and to me they are rich with memories, memories of cherished time together.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice
“But as for me, it is good to be near God.” (Psalm 73:28a)
If life is like a game of “Hot or Cold” what are we trying to find? According to Maslow, we are all trying to find what we need, from basic survival necessities to self-fulfillment. Along the way, we look for safety, love, belonging, and esteem. Unmet needs create a restlessness that drives our search. Meeting a need creates a feeling of satisfaction. When hungry, it feels good to eat. When lonely, it is comforting to be with someone who cares. If feeling overlooked or unimportant, the recognition of our value brings gratification. Having a need is uncomfortable; meeting a need feels good.
“But as for me, it is good to be near God.” Like some spiritual game of “hotter-colder,” being closer to God is good, moving farther away from God is bad. Whatever brings me closer to God is good; whatever draws me further away from God is bad.
At the risk of seeming overly simplistic, consider how God can satisfy unmet needs. From taking refuge in the shelter of His protection to finding fulfilment of our purpose through His calling, being near God is satisfying on many levels. His love brings us into a family of believers to whom we belong. The sacrifice of Jesus demonstrates a value placed on each of us beyond anything the world might esteem.
Don’t know where to go or what you are seeking? When uncertain where to go, Ancient Mystery’s Voice declares there will be “a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (see Isaiah 30:21). I have found many treasures along the way, but only when I am on the right path.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice describes a spiritual version of hide-and-seek, one where the divine temperature readings provide guidance for where to be. Rather than frantically searching in random directions, Ancient Mystery’s Voice instructs the seeker where to go. The source of what we need can be found by following that guidance to THE source, being near God. It is good to be near God and His unlimited supply of spiritual treasures. When we wander away from Him our hearts and lives grow colder, colder. If we listen, we can hear His voice guiding us to warmer, safer places. It is good to be near God.
Living in Mystery
What does it mean to live in the mystery of Hotter-Colder, finding what you seek? First, it means pondering where you are feeling cold instead of hot. Where are the empty, hard places in your life? Use that temperature reading to signal that something is missing. Ask yourself: What do I need that I am not getting?
To be a successful seeker, you must know what you are looking for. Sometimes restless seeking results from being unclear about what you are trying to find. Ask yourself: What am I looking for? If no answers come, only restless emptiness, ask yourself follow-up questions. Am I lonely? Sad? Tired? Afraid? Unfulfilled? Do I feel forgotten or overlooked?
And here’s the shocking twist to life’s game of hide-and-seek: Perhaps you are what is lost. The sense that something is missing and you need to search for it might be an illusion. Have you wandered away from where you need to be? Most sheep get lost one blade of grass at a time. Is this you? Have life’s distractions and daily sense of searching taken you away from the Shepherd? If so, follow the advice parents give to their children: “If you get lost, stop moving and stay where you are. We’ll come find you.” Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to just be still and wait for the Lord.
Are you having trouble hearing the One providing the guidance you need? The problem may not be your ability to hear but your commitment to listening. Set aside the distracting devices. Find a quiet place to just be quiet. Say, “here I am, Lord, come find me. I’m listening for Your voice. What do You have for me at this moment?" Like tuning a radio to the right frequency, it helps to open a Bible and read a few lines to clear the signal. The Psalms are particularly useful in this way. A “red-letter version” where the words of Jesus are in red can also provide clarity to receiving what the Lord is trying to say to you. Daily practice will improve your connection and sensitivity to the Lord’s voice.
If life is like a game of “Hotter-Colder,” we can become more successful seekers by knowing what we are trying to find and by paying attention to the One who is giving the cues for our search. A regular habit of quietly tuning in to the voice of the One who provides guidance will settle our frantic and restless searching. Like a child who has become lost, have the courage to stop chasing what you seek; instead sit quietly and say, “Here I am, waiting for You. Find me.”
Connecting with Mystery
Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to searching without listening for Your voice. Sometimes I feel cold and far away from what I seek; show me when I am the one who has gotten lost. Help me to stop my restless efforts and wait quietly for directions. Thank You for being the One who directs my movements, guiding me to what is good, being near You. Amen.
Notes from Dr. Mac
If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, I suggest you go to Bible Gateway. This free online version of the Bible allows a search of words or phrases in various translations. I encourage you to read a Psalm; maybe pick the one corresponding to your age or the day of the month. Then sit quietly and wait for the still, small voice to respond.
Do you want more from my writing? I have three years of previous posts, which you can find at my ARCHIVE.
My very first post, from May 8, 2022, is Turn the Page. I have topically organized some of my previous work in the My Books section. Plus Mystery’s Voice is on Spotify.
Do you know someone who might enjoy receiving Mystery’s Voice? You can subscribe a friend or family member for free by adding an email address to my mailing list via the Subscribe button below.
I want to know what you’re thinking! You can email me at: Dear Dr. Mac or leave/send a message (see below). I love hearing from you!
Share this post