I am beginning now to see how radically the character of my spiritual journey will change when I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it as difficult as possible for me to find God, but instead, as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding.
–Henri J.M Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son
My friend started coming to church and sitting on the back row. It was a rough patch in his life. He liked the music, the silence, the encouraging words from the preacher. But he never spoke to anyone, slipping out before the final hymn.
One day his brother called from 1000 miles away to check on him.
“I am fine,” he assured his brother.
“Where do you sit when you go to that church?”
“I sit on the back row.”
“Well next week sit on the front row and then call me after church.”
The next week he called his brother to say that after church, some really kind folks came and talked to him, invited him to their group and were so friendly. Those people became some of his dearest friends. It has been over 30 years since he sat on the front row and they still sit together in church, gathering for lunch or dinner about once a month.
It is tempting to see God as elusive or aloof and to spend our time striving to find God’s peace or earn God’s affection. What a relief it is to realize that we are the ones hiding from God. I can see how I hide on a daily basis. I suspect you also know the ways you seek to elude God. What might happen to the character of our spiritual journeys, once we remember that God longs to receive us, stands waiting for us with open arms, even runs with joy when we begin to approach the driveway leading to grace?
With grace and peace,
Carla
