Hands Over Our Eyes

When my boys were little, one of our favorite games was hide-and-seek.

Isaac was about three or four years old, and like most little boys, he loved the game. There was just one problem—he wasn't very good at hiding.

Whenever Hank or I would yell, "Ready or not, here I come!" we'd often find Isaac standing in the hallway, completely out in the open, with both hands covering his eyes. He wouldn't peek through his fingers. He stood perfectly still, convinced that because he couldn't see us, we couldn't see him.

Sometimes Hank and I would play along. We'd walk right past him pretending not to notice. The moment we did, he'd sprint for home, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Those are memories I'll always treasure.

But after a while, something changed.

Isaac stopped trying to find a hiding place altogether. Sometimes he'd stand right beside the person counting, hands over his eyes, waiting for the game to begin.

Eventually, I had to tell him the truth.

"Buddy, we can always see you. We've just been pretending because it's fun. If you want to play the game, you have to actually hide."

I still remember watching him process that reality. His understanding of hide-and-seek had changed forever. Covering his eyes wasn't enough anymore.

He had to participate.

I've thought about that moment many times over the years because I think a lot of us live our Christian lives the same way.

We love Jesus.

We know He saved us.

We know He's forgiven us.

We know heaven is our home.

But when it comes to sharing our faith, discipling others, or simply telling someone what Jesus has done in our lives, we quietly place our hands over our eyes.

We tell ourselves we're just introverted.

Or we don't know enough.

Or someone else is better at it.

Or we're afraid of being rejected.

Sometimes we know we're hiding. Other times we've convinced ourselves that covering our eyes somehow excuses us from participating.

It doesn't.

The beautiful thing about following Jesus isn't that we're forced into some uncomfortable sales pitch. It's that we've been given the greatest news the world has ever known.

Imagine discovering the cure for a terminal disease.

Imagine finding food for starving people.

Imagine knowing the only safe path through a deadly storm.

Wouldn't you tell someone?

The gospel is even greater.

Every person we meet is eternal. Every conversation matters. Every soul has incredible value to God.

Jesus didn't simply save us so we could quietly wait for heaven.

He invited us into His work.

He calls us to make disciples, to love people well, and to tell the story that changed our own lives.

Not because He needs us.

Because He loves letting us be part of what He's doing.

I've noticed something in my own life.

Whenever I'm reluctant to share my faith, it's usually because I want my participation to happen on my terms. I don't want awkward conversations. I don't want rejection. I want obedience without discomfort.

But Jesus never promised comfort.

He promised His presence.

The more deeply we know Him, the harder it becomes to keep Him to ourselves.

When you've experienced grace, you want others to experience grace.

When you've been forgiven, you want others to know forgiveness.

When you've found hope, you want others to find hope.

Not because you're checking a religious box.

Because love naturally shares good things.

One day, the hiding ends.

One day, every one of us will stand before Jesus.

I don't believe He'll ask how effectively we hid behind our fears. I believe our lives will reveal whether we trusted Him enough to participate in what mattered most.

So maybe today is the day we take our hands away from our eyes.

Maybe today is the day we stop waiting until we feel qualified.

Maybe today is the day we pray, "Lord, give me one person to love well and the courage to tell them about You."

You don't have to know every answer.

You don't have to win every argument.

You simply have to be willing.

The greatest gift you've ever received was never meant to stop with you.

Someone is waiting to hear about Jesus.

Don't hide behind your hands anymore.

When Jesus becomes enough for us, we stop protecting our comfort and start participating in His mission.

Jesus is enough!

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