If Mama Ain't Hiding

Sometimes I hide from my children. They call my name and I don't answer. They ask my husband where I am, but he doesn't know. They mount a search party, but it's unsuccessful. Mama is elusive (and they really aren't all that persistent).

I might be in the closet, behind the bathroom door, in the car or under a blanket. I'm not that clever about where I hide, I just hide. I've been doing it for years—when I need to get away, I get away. When things are crazy, when there's a problem, even sometimes when it's peaceful, I hide.

And I'm not ashamed to admit it.

That's right, no shame here. In fact, I'm proud of being a hider because there's something really powerful about knowing when to retreat. If you have a busy household, you know what it's like. There are times when there's just too much noise, too much movement, and you just can't think clearly. Sometimes, you just need a moment, and when I need a moment, I take it.

I'm not rude about it and I don't yell at my kids or husband. I just steal away— quietly, stealthily, virtually undetected, and I take my moment.

Jesus modeled this for us. After John was beheaded He went off to a deserted place by Himself (Matthew 14:13). After He fed the 5,000, He went up to a mountain by Himself (Matthew 14:23, John 6:15). He even instructed the disciples to go rest in a deserted place by themselves (Mark 6:31). It would seem that Jesus valued time away and alone, an art often lost on way-too-busy-mamas like us.

Thank the Lord for His example.

I love that some passages say He went off to pray and others say He just went. That blesses me because, honestly, sometimes I just go away. I might pray, I might read or I might get lost in a good episode of Monk. There are times when it’s about praying, and many other times when it’s just about getting away. And, can I just point out that Jesus went away by himself after tragedy, after performing an enormous and marvelous miracle, and when the crowd threatened to overtake Him. It covers all the bases—if I need to get away during challenges, after great triumph and when the little crowd in my house (or the crowds of the outside world) would overwhelm me, it’s okay.

What about you? I’m one mama who is skilled in this game of hide-n-seek and I want you to play too. Let me encourage you to hide, to get away, to retreat, to just take a moment the next time you need it. There’s no shame in doing it, so get going, and join me in hiding as you join me on this journey.