hiding

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” Exodus 3:4

There is so much about the calling of Moses in Exodus 3 that I really love.  I love that Moses was on the far side of the desert: alone, away, silent...attentive.   I love that he was tending sheep for his father-in-law; a humble task, nothing big or flashy or heroic.  I love the creativity of God appearing in a burning bush, enough to get your attention but not enough to make it obvious that something (or Someone) extraordinary was behind (or within) it.   And I absolutely LOVE the fact that God waited until Moses "turned aside" and came over to the bush before he actually called to him.  It just gives me the impression that God is almost hiding, eagerly waiting and hoping and longing to be found by us; much the same way my kids did when we played Hide and Seek when they were young.  The whole experience is only fun if someone is searching diligently, high and low, trying desperately to find you.  I wonder if that's how God felt as He hid?  And how much must His heart have leapt for joy when he was finally found?  Don't you just love thinking about that?

But I think the thing I am enjoying most about this story these days is that God called to Moses from within the bush.  God calls, speaks to Moses, from within a created thing.  How fun is that?  It makes me wonder, "Where else might He be?  What things this day, or this moment, is He hiding in, just waiting to call out to me the minute I turn aside and go over to find Him?"  Could it be that everything in all of creation holds the possibility of such an encounter?  Could it be that if I pay careful attention, I might find Him within most all of the places and the conversations and the tasks and the circumstances I find myself in the midst of today?  And could it be that I might find Him hiding even in the midst of the hard things of life.  Perhaps God even (and maybe especially) calls to me...to us...from within our sorrow and pain?  All we need to do is look for Him, and as soon as we do, it will bring a huge smile to His face and deep joy to His heart.