Abiding and hiding

     The other day I talked about the gift of friendship and about a wonderful trip our family took to Little Washington, NC.  As I mentioned, it was a visit with 3 other families who have a post-Christmas get-together every year, and this was the first year we could join them.  It was a blast--and another reminder of why we need friendships and what a joy those friendships are in our lives.  But one of the highlights of the visit was an annual scavenger hunt, and, well, I've been thinking about that scavenger hunt, and since I shared about it in Bible study, I thought I might share a bit about it here.
     Our group included four families--eight parents and thirteen children. Shortly after we arrived in Washington, we were divided into four groups, each group having a mix of adults and kids from each family.  Each group was given a list of places or people to locate in Little Washington.  You could go in any order to find the items on the list.  And you had to take a picture of your group in front of each place or person and then get back to the house by a certain time.  Points were assigned for various items--some of them being slightly more challenging to locate--or identify--than others (to put it mildly).
      But here's the kicker: because two of the four families live in Washington,  each group had to include one of the four parents who live there and that person was the designated driver for their group.  The driver would not only drive their group around but would also determine the best route and the best order in which to find the places.  Gee, I guess they could choose the music and the car temperature as well, now that I think about it.  This could have turned into a driver dictatorship.
     For instance, we had to get a picture with the mayor of Washington.  Now if you are not from Washington, this is a problem as you have no earthly idea who the mayor is or where he or she might live.  Or another of my favorites, a picture with a minister.  Now two of the dads in our groups were actually ministers--they didn't count, of course (which is a good thing since neither minister was in my group. And it's all about me).  So, again, not being from Washington, this minister issue was a challenge.  Well, even being from Washington this was a challenge, since it was late on a Sunday afternoon just before New Year's.
      I have to include one of my favorite pictures--this is our group (I'm the designated photographer--everyone has a role in life) in front of our minister:

Pretty creative, huh?  Will Page, our designated driver, had the keys to their church so we were able to get in and take a picture in front of a wall of ministers!  I think we should have received extra points for that.  Not to mention we turned off the lights on the way out.  So there.
     We also had to get a picture with a firefighter, a picture of a giant crab in some park, a picture on a boat (also a bit of a challenge), etc.  But here's the point: us non-Washingtonians had absolutely no idea where any of these places were located or how to get to them.
     Now here's my tendency in life: look at the first item on the list--a picture in front of a gas station--and think, "I remember passing a gas station when we drove into town!  I've got this!  So I might immediately rush off without asking my driver where to go.  The next thing you know, I'd be completely lost.
      Well,  come to think of it, I'd get lost even if all this happened  in my hometown, since I have zero sense of direction.  But suppose you do--suppose you are super gifted when it comes to directions (a remarkable, incomprehensible gift, if you ask me).  Because of your giftedness, you might think to yourself, "I can totally do this on my own.  I can find all these spots and get back here before anybody else has even crossed off one item on their list.  So you take off and get busy doing it on your own.  But if you're not from the town, I don't care how gifted or efficient you are, you'd get lost, confused, and very frustrated.
     The key, of course, would be to stick with your driver who knows the town, knows every location, and knows the optimum way to find the mayor or the giant crab.  As long as you stick with your driver, you're in great shape.  And having a blast along the way!  As long as we let the driver do the driving, we had the freedom to laugh and look out the window and chat and jump out of the car for the photograph and then jump back in to go safely and comfortably to the next location.  We enjoyed freedom from confusion, from stress, from worry, and from spending gas in our own cars.   What's not to love?!
     But here's the thing: if we realize that for a silly scavenger hunt, why on earth do we tend to forget it in real life?  We have a Lord who made us, who knows us intimately, who understands the very best way for us to live, and who has the perfect plan for each of our lives.  And He wants to be our personal Driver to get us exactly where we need to go.
      Yet how often do we refuse to wait on Him or trust Him as our Driver?  We just rush off on our own, harried and hurried, too busy to wait on Him.  Or we insist on doing it our way and on our timetable, certain we know best... and the next thing you know, we're discouraged, defeated, frustrated and wondering where God is or where we went wrong.
      We left without our Driver!  We don't know the way ahead--He does.  We don't have the absolute optimum plan--He does.  We don't know all the facts--He does.  It's been said that God's will is what we would choose if we knew all the facts.  Boy, if I could just remember that in the heat of frenetic days or dark challenges or even just exhausting work.  He knows all.  He can do all.  And He is waiting to be our Driver... not just now and then, but continually.
     "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
     That's the key!  Abide in His Word.  Read it daily... but then think about it, talk about it, ponder it as you drive along.  Ask God to bring it to your mind in the trenches of your life that day.
     And memorize it.  I know, I know.  You've heard it before.  Me too.  And I've failed repeatedly--but for this we have Jesus.  I'm gonna keep at it and keep trying to hide His Word in my heart--just a verse or so a week--so I will have that reservoir to draw upon when my days fall apart or my energy runs dry or my love disappears.
     Because those verses promise us: if we abide in His Word, then we'll be His disciples and that is how we will know the Truth that will set us free. Set free from all those fears that bind us.  Set free from those sinful hidden habits that enslave us and make us miserable.  Set free from confusion and worry, because we are abiding in Him who knows all and has all that we need... every single day.
     Sorry this was so long, but this has just so convicted me!  I want to enjoy that kind of freedom--the freedom of the abundant Life He came to give us.  But it all has to start by abiding in His Word and allowing Him to teach us and transform us.
     So if you're up for it, memorize John 8:31-32 along with me.  Let's start abiding and hiding--His Word, that is.   To God be the glory.