I remember writing a poem years ago that had to do with hiding. It began with the words, “Sometimes I just wanna curl up in a ball and watch the rainfall, and have nothing to do with nothing at all”. Of course, the idea is it’s quiet, I’m alone, I can think, I can reflect and I can retreat. We need retreat moments, don’t we? Retreat moments allow us to press the pause button. And they’re great from a balanced perspective or when we just need to hang everything up briefly without a need to explain why.

Psalm 119: 114 ESV– You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

WHEN YOU HIDE, WHERE DO YOU ESCAPE TO?
So we’ve all felt like this- A wanna get-away moment because your re-charge is essential. You decide it’s time to take a hiatus yet somehow there’s still the stress of having to, even plan that out. What happens is you’d rather just say, “Look I’ll be back in a minute.” “Not sure where I’m going or what I’m doing but what I do know is I’m powering off right now.” If your life has taken, all of a sudden out of the blue, a sharp turn for the worse, you may need to take a step aside. Sometimes, when you cannot think clearly, everything sort of stops…The hardest thing to do is try and explain how you feel when you’d rather hide so you don’t have to.

HIDDEN IN HIS PRESENCE
I don’t know about you but stepping away for me is spending time with God. I’m an introvert and so stepping away for me is necessary in order to recharge. There are so many times when life is all-consuming and I crave to find myself alone where I can chill with God. It is like having a tall glass of cold water set aside, waiting for me in the heat of a scorching hot day under a personal canopy only I can enter and rest in. But it’s not all about escaping people, places, or things. It’s also about being present in the midst of people, places, things, or even chaos and knowing there’s still a hiding place in Christ. Where ever you are, when you walk in his presence, you can remain hidden in his peace.

OUR IDENTITY HIDDEN IN CHRIST
From a spiritual perspective, let’s take our identity for example.
When we invite Christ into our hearts and give our lives over to be in his trustworthy hands, our identity changes or shifts. And the Bible says that at this point we are made new. We are deciding that we no longer live for ourselves or give sin power over our lives. Because Christ died for us, was buried, and rose again, guess what? We do also. Therefore, we are now hidden in Him!

Colossians 3:3-4 NIV- For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

In every moment we walk, breathe and live in our bodies, we have the opportunity to reflect the love and light of God. Galatians 2:20 NIV- I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. We also can walk in the spirit and make a conscious decision to let go of ourselves and trust that we will be protected and hidden in the reflection of Christ, working in and through us.

IN and THROUGH HIM
So amid all the chaos, remember that rest and a hiatus with Christ might be exactly what you need. We need things to slow down in our lives in order to hear him properly. Our fleshly identity was what was once the center of attention, emotion, and praise but now it is hidden in Christ. When we rest, we rest in him. When we win, we give praises to Christ who fights our battles. When we suffer with him, we will be glorified with him also. When we speak, it’s his Spirit that moves us to words. When we slip-up, we are covered under the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. When we’re mistreated, it will follow with his vengeance. When we seek purpose, it’s for his Kingdom that will one day be fully revealed. When we’re born again, we’re identified as his child, hidden beneath his wings of safety. So whether we step away and hide in his presence or we are in present chaos, we are hidden in his light and his Spirit. We become his, and we become hidden in his glory with the excitement of knowing we can partake in present but especially his eternal blessings to come.,