Spiritual Scavenger Hunt!

Day Eighteen

Hello hello hello! Welcome to day 18 of our spiritual scavenger hunt! This week, we've been searching for God in nature, and last week we hunted for innocence and enjoyment in simple things. Today, we're going to combine the elemants of the past two weeks!

"How" you ask? See, today we're going to search for God's prescence by watching more innocent beings! Still confused? Perhaps it will seem a little more clear when I reveal that today's activity leads us to a local playground or park. Hopefully you have one near by, but if not, I still want you to think back to a time when you were younger or to think about a child you know.

If you do have a park nearby, don't be shy, sit yourself on a bench and relax. As you watch the children play, observe how they find joy in such seemingly basic equipment. Many children visit the park often and don't ever get bored of playing there. Every day is a new adventure. The slide leads them underwater to a secret city. The swing is pushing them into the clouds where they sing with the birds. They are able to take such small things and make them into much fun!

Similarly, we can also find enjoyment in our lives even if we feel like we're doing the same things over and over again. Sometimes, you just need to look at a situation in a different way. Sometimes all you need to do is get out of bed and say "Today, I'm going to smile throughout the day, even as I repeat most of the same things I did yesterday. Today is going to be different, because I'm going to ______". What fills in the blank will be different in every scenario. Do you feel like you're going through each day unaware of God's prescence in your life? Decide that you're going to make an effort to be more aware, by doing things such as setting aside times in your day for praying/Reading the Bible, keeping Bible verses on sticky notes all around your house or workplace and stopping to think of them when you come across one, or starting a Bible reading plan or reading a devotional when you need a pick-me-up. Perhaps you need to learn something from the kids you observed and try looking at life through more innocent eyes, or by expecting new adventures in old places. You never know what God may bring you or when, but you do know that you can trust in His timing.

Also take note of whether or not the kids are putting God's word into action. For exmaple, if one child is on the swing and someone else wants is, does the child on the swing give it up? Are people sharing? Is the play nice and gentle and not rough? If the children are being kind to each other and showing love, it's very likely that everyone will be happy with big smiles across all of the faces. But if they're being selfish and playing unfairly, many people will probably be upset. By seeing this, you can see in a simple form how important love is. As we grow up, our situations change, but our need to love others does not. Perhaps you won't run into anyone who is wanting your swing, but you may run into someone who is wanting your time, patience, advice, or something similar. And the fact remains the same that helping and loving others and giving more than we recieve puts smiles on our faces and the faces of those around us!

If you aren't comfortable watching children at the park or if you are unable to get to a park, I still encourage you to think about the values and messages that I am trying to get across. In your reflection journal (if you have one) consider the following questions;

1. What's one way that you can include God in your life this week or start to see life as an adventure/journey?

2. Can you think of times when you were little and learning right from wrong where you did the right thing and felt good about it? What was this thing, and how can you apply it in your everyday life?

3. Did you notice that the children were enjoying themselves without technology? Do you need to step outside and spend some time away from the computer and out enjoying God's masterpiece too? If you think you do, plan to put aside some time tomorrow to do so.

Aaaand that's all for today, folks! I do hope that you'll continue with me on this journey tomorrow, God bless!