Step Two

Step 2: You find what you are looking for

The other day my wife was at a women’s conference. When I’m alone with my daughter we call them daddy-daughter days or daddy-daughter nights. We go on “adventures” to make that time fun and so she is excited when she learns it’ll just be her and I. That day's adventures were me taking her to ballet, then to get a donut, going to the library, and finally having lunch at a restaurant after some playing at home. 

While we were at home, we were sitting there quietly coloring or something. Completely out of the blue she says, “Dad, later on in life I might not remember all of the adventures that we went on. But I’ll remember that we had them.” That immediately made me tear up and feel incredibly proud of her. But it also felt like something God nudged her to say. Right after that, my mind went to this topic. 

It might seem like a bit of a jump, to go from that story to finding what you seek, but instantly I imagined my daughter in the future. I imagined her being grown up, not around us, and going through a hard time. In that struggle, she found something to hold onto: the memory of our daddy-daughter times. Times when we went on adventures, and she had my complete attention and love. Moments where she felt special, capable, and joyful. In that hard time she was having, she had to look for hope, for inspiration, for encouragement, for love, for joy. But she found it. 

I believe God is always like that. He’s always with us, wanting to spend time with us, to show us how special we are to Him, how much He loves us, and how He wants to use us to help others and go on adventures. I know how much I love and want for my daughter—and I’m far from perfect. So, how much more does God want these things for me? 

Jeremiah 29:10-14 says:

“This is what the Lord says: 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.’”

I know that this message was to the Israelites, but the principle applies to us now. It doesn’t matter the pain I’m in. It doesn’t matter how much has been against me in life. It doesn’t matter if I can’t see any hope. What matters is if I’m looking for it. God doesn’t reward skill or even effort; He rewards faith. We see Him when we look for Him with an earnest heart. But we can’t hold onto—or keep looking at—the pains and injustices of the world. I have to lift my eyes to Him. He will be faithful. He has already appointed people to stand by us. He’s there. I just have to be.

So today, I’m asking myself: Am I willing to let go of my wants, hurts, and assumptions, and simply say to Him, “I’m here. For whatever You want. You lead; I’ll follow."