Our daughter likes to entertain.
In the confines of our home, my wife and I have seen hundreds of performances ranging from comedic to dramatic. Her songs have included piercing high notes and surprising low notes. She’s demonstrated dance moves with more coordination at 3 than I have at 40. Some in our inner-circle have witnessed this, and she always seems to enjoy an audience.
That’s why I was a puzzled at her first Christmas performance at preschool. We heard from her teachers in the weeks before how much she enjoyed practicing and how we could expect to see her ham it up. But when she joined her classmates on-stage, she didn’t look comfortable as the crowd of parents looked up at her.
She sat down where she was supposed to sit. She wasn’t sad, upset or scared. She kept scanning the crowd as if she didn’t know what to do with all the attention.
She was looking for us.
We found seats about 7 rows back and between the parents taking photos and the commotion on-stage, she couldn’t pick us out.
We couldn’t stand it any longer. We stood up, waved and made sure she saw us. She waved back and shouted, “Hi Daddy! Hi Mommy!”
From that point on, she glowed. She sang her songs with gusto and threw in some mighty hand motions to punctuate. She knew we were there watching. She had found a little bit of home.
It reminded me how much this world throws our way, distracting us with commotion that aims to prevent us from finding our home.
God is daily standing up and waving for our attention, inviting us to see His goodness, His provision and His love for us.
It is in our best interest to see beyond the distractions and recognize His presence and our need for Him.
It’s only then that we can truly approach this life with confidence.
Seek Him out.
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” – 1 Chronicles 16:11
“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.” – Proverbs 8:17
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” – James 4:8
