Hidden Pictures

This morning I am thinking about hidden pictures.  When I was little, my mom subscribed to Highlights magazine so I could be entertained with the stories, puzzles, riddles, and games.  One of my favorite things was the page with the Hidden Pictures.  In what looked like an ordinary scene or photograph, various objects and figures were embedded.  They were cunningly drawn, such that they blended into a bigger picture and were essentially “invisible” if I didn’t look carefully.  There were directions that told me which objects were hidden, and it was my job to find as many as I could.  When I located one of the items, I would eagerly draw a circle around it.  What had previously been cleverly concealed then seemed rather obvious.  Today, I am praying for God to sharpen my spiritual sight to discern the “hidden pictures” to which I am often oblivious in my everyday world.  I know that my eyes sometimes become glazed over as I go about my business, but I desire to really see the people and things I can so easily miss.  I want to see the woman who is broken, hurting, and feeling hopeless.  I want to spot the man whose circumstances have caused him to doubt his worth and his purpose.  I want to notice the child who has begun to internalize negative and false messages about who she is and what she will become.  I need His direction to show me who may be hidden in the familiar places I take for granted…at work, at church, in my neighborhood, and even in my family.  I want to find as many as I can.  And when I find them, I want to encircle them in His love and kindness so they will say, “Now I know God sees me, and I know He cares.”