Looking or Seeking

"Momma! You have to take me to Aunt Laura's car! Right now!" I had just walked in the door from work and this was how B greeted me.

"Wait! Why do you need Aunt Laura's car?"

"I left my Skylanders in her car and need them right now!"

I decided to text Aunt Laura instead of run down there. They weren't home but they would look in the car when they got back to it.  About an hour later came the reply - no Skylanders in the car.

B was on the edge of meltdown by this point.  He's not so good with the waiting.  I tried to calm him and walk him through the morning when Aunt Laura brought him home with the Skylanders.

"NO! Sam and I already looked there!" was the answer to all my questions.  I started walking the house myself.  No Skylanders in his room.  No Skylanders in the living room.  No Skylanders in the kitchen.  These are his top 3 toy locations.  I moved to tier 2.  No Skylanders in my bathroom, no skylanders in any bathroom for that matter, no Skylanders in my room.  Finally, tier 3 - the non-dining dining room.  There they were! Relief spread through out the land as B ran off to his room to play Skylanders.

I sat down on the couch and thought about what had just happened.  B had looked all over the house.  He really wanted to find his toys.  But was he really seeking them?  My boys have a tendency to look to their left and to their right then declare the item lost forever.  They don't do a lot of seeking.

Let's look at the definitions of look and seek...

Looking involves gazing and glancing.  Seeking involves looking and searching.  Looking is more passive than seeking.  

Which does God want from us, looking for Him or seeking Him?

I believe He wants us to do both.

Look for God in the little things of life.  One of my sorority sisters calls these God Winks.  Look to see the ways God is moving in your life and lives of others.  See His majesty in nature.  See His sovereignty in your situation.  When you start looking for God in everyday things, you'll be amazed. You'll become more aware of how He is guiding and caring for you.

Seeking God is more active.  When I think of seeking, I think of running towards something.  So to me, seeking God means running towards Him.  Reading my Bible daily.  Going to him in prayer throughout the day.

For most of my life, I struggled with my 'quiet time'. I knew I needed one but I couldn't get it going consistently.  Until I started thinking about how I learn best.  I'm a writer.  I learn best when I'm writing.  So, I incorporated writing into my study.  If I'm not doing a formal study, I get up. get some coffee, cuddle up on the couch and read a chapter of the Bible.  I have a study Bible so I read the commentary on the chapter after I read the chapter.  Then I get out my notebook and write God a letter.  I usually thank Him for whatever I've just learned.  I write about what's on my heart.  I write out my prayer request.  Writing helps me stay focused.  My mind doesn't wander as much.  Then I try to spend 5 or 10 minutes just being silent.  This is the hardest part.  And it doesn't always happen.  Sometimes B-man is up and wants to talk or it's time to take the Bigs some place.

My BBF Rachel gave me a prayer notebook that I try to use every night before I go to bed.  This is the hardest one because when I'm ready for bed, I'm done.  I forget to do this one A LOT! But I like it because it's guided which is easier for me at night.  It has 4 Ps to write about.  Peaks, Pits, Praises & Prayers.  (I wish I knew where she got it so I could give credit properly).