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Have you ever played hide and seek with a toddler? My granddaughters Caroline and Emma Kate are not yet 2 years old, and they play by covering their eyes. The girls think that if they can’t see me, I can’t see them.

Should they follow in their cousins’ footsteps, soon they will try to hide behind something not quite large enough to cover them, and likely call out, “Try to find me.” Then they will master the game and learn to completely hide in silence, which makes finding them difficult.

Adults can play this game, too. Sometimes we try to hide away in our busy schedules, making it difficult for those who love us to find a meaningful relationship with us. We try to hide our hurt and pain with forced smiles and silence, delaying the healing. But worst of all is when we try to hide from God thinking that if we refuse to look toward Him, He can’t see us.

Instead of hiding from God, Psalm 32:7 invites us to hide in Him. “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.”

For me, hiding in God means that I present myself to Him and confess my sins, knowing that He completely covers me with forgiveness. Sometimes I hide in Him by laying out my plans and prayers and ask Him to let only His will emerge. And I believe that I hide myself in Him when I read His Word and ask His thoughts to cover mine, changing me to reflect Him.

While Hide and Seek is a fun game for my granddaughters, my daily prayer is that they never play it with God.

Ronny Michel can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.