Hiding from God
It was not a good sign. Mom rushed into the kitchen and I knew where she was going. I caught the tail-end of her statement to me. It was something like, "Your fathers going to hear about this!" Not good at all.
I had just finished eating about 2 dozen freshly baked cookies that mom had set on the counter to cool. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, and my favorite, oatmeal raisin. I'm really not sure how it happened but mom was ironing in the utility room and the temptation was too great. My little stomach, now nearly 5 years old, was distended and I was belching incessantly. I think that's what caught her attention. If it wasn't for the belching I would have gotten away with the perfect crime. "Cookies? What cookies? I haven't seen any cookies!" But alas, I was caught red handed.
As mom stepped into the kitchen she turned immediately to the wall next to the refrigerator where "the dog house" hung. Dad had neatly cut out a little dog house and hung it on the wall. It was flat and had a red painted door. In the middle of the door was a small nail. Hanging below the doghouse on detachable hooks were four little dogs cut out of wood and dangling vertically.
Each dog had a child's name on it; Shannon, Chris, Tim, and Cindy. Me, my brothers and sister. Whenever one or more of us got into serious trouble, mom would detach the appropriate dog/child and hang it on the nail in the entrance. This was very bad in the Dare house. Bad because the dog house was the first thing dad looked at when he came home. If your name was in it, it was similar to being sentenced by a judge for a felony offense. Really bad.
I knew my hour of judgement was coming and at 5 years old I decided to run away from home rather than face the music. I somberly went to my room, found an old scarf, put a package of peanut butter crackers in it I had stashed under my bed, and left.
Out the back door I went, mom none the wiser to my exit. I made it about halfway up the driveway next to our house when I got tired and was already missing everybody. I spied a widow well attached to the house that let light into our basement. It looked like a suitable refuge and I decided to climb into it and hide. I figured I had enough food to last for a while. Just to make sure I wasn't found, I pulled an old piece of plywood over the top of the window well to mask my presence...seemed like a good idea!
I saw dad drive up about an hour later. Mom ran out to meet him in a panic yelling, “I can't find Shannon anywhere.” I chuckled. My brothers, sister and parents surrounded the house calling my name. "Shannon...Shannon!" After a few minutes dad said, "Let's call the police. They will help."
It was not a good sign. Mom rushed into the kitchen and I knew where she was going. I caught the tail-end of her statement to me. It was something like, "Your fathers going to hear about this!" Not good at all.
I had just finished eating about 2 dozen freshly baked cookies that mom had set on the counter to cool. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, and my favorite, oatmeal raisin. I'm really not sure how it happened but mom was ironing in the utility room and the temptation was too great. My little stomach, now nearly 5 years old, was distended and I was belching incessantly. I think that's what caught her attention. If it wasn't for the belching I would have gotten away with the perfect crime. "Cookies? What cookies? I haven't seen any cookies!" But alas, I was caught red handed.
As mom stepped into the kitchen she turned immediately to the wall next to the refrigerator where "the dog house" hung. Dad had neatly cut out a little dog house and hung it on the wall. It was flat and had a red painted door. In the middle of the door was a small nail. Hanging below the doghouse on detachable hooks were four little dogs cut out of wood and dangling vertically.
Each dog had a child's name on it; Shannon, Chris, Tim, and Cindy. Me, my brothers and sister. Whenever one or more of us got into serious trouble, mom would detach the appropriate dog/child and hang it on the nail in the entrance. This was very bad in the Dare house. Bad because the dog house was the first thing dad looked at when he came home. If your name was in it, it was similar to being sentenced by a judge for a felony offense. Really bad.
I knew my hour of judgement was coming and at 5 years old I decided to run away from home rather than face the music. I somberly went to my room, found an old scarf, put a package of peanut butter crackers in it I had stashed under my bed, and left.
Out the back door I went, mom none the wiser to my exit. I made it about halfway up the driveway next to our house when I got tired and was already missing everybody. I spied a widow well attached to the house that let light into our basement. It looked like a suitable refuge and I decided to climb into it and hide. I figured I had enough food to last for a while. Just to make sure I wasn't found, I pulled an old piece of plywood over the top of the window well to mask my presence...seemed like a good idea!
I saw dad drive up about an hour later. Mom ran out to meet him in a panic yelling, “I can't find Shannon anywhere.” I chuckled. My brothers, sister and parents surrounded the house calling my name. "Shannon...Shannon!" After a few minutes dad said, "Let's call the police. They will help."
Now I quickly put 2 + 2 together and realized that I would rather face my dad than be
arrested by the police. Five years old and a rap sheet....no way. My dad's foot was three feet
from the window well when I popped up out of it and shouted, "Here I am!"
I envisioned warm hugs and relief as they saw my shining face. Instead I received a sharp swat on the rear and a stern talking to from my dad and mom....apparently I hadn't been gone long enough!
The same scene played out not that long ago in the Garden of Eden. Except then, it wasn't cookies that were eaten, but forbidden fruit. Both Adam and Eve did the same thing I did; they hid from their Father because they were afraid of him. And they were afraid of him because they were disobedient.
The act of being disobedient directly affects your relationship with your father or mother, or anyone that has authority over you. If you do what you know you're supposed to do, you have a clear conscience and your heart does not condemn you. However, if you do what you know you're not supposed to do, you struggle with guilt, fear and other unhealthy emotions. In essence disobedience drives you from those you love.
Are you at peace with God? It was the scheme of the enemy back in the Garden to thrust us into sin and darkness, and he was successful. His sole desire is to strip us of our inheritance and of our identity in Christ. He has so orchestrated the world as to fill our heads with lies and confusion. But are you at peace with God? Is your relationship with him so powerful that you are overcoming the world?
Or are you hiding in a window well, fearful of what the future may bring, or even worse, fearful of your Father: Jesus? Talk with him. Tell him your heart, and then listen. He is faithful and just to cleanse you from all unrighteousness and fully restore you to your proper inheritance.
1 John 3:21
"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God."
I envisioned warm hugs and relief as they saw my shining face. Instead I received a sharp swat on the rear and a stern talking to from my dad and mom....apparently I hadn't been gone long enough!
The same scene played out not that long ago in the Garden of Eden. Except then, it wasn't cookies that were eaten, but forbidden fruit. Both Adam and Eve did the same thing I did; they hid from their Father because they were afraid of him. And they were afraid of him because they were disobedient.
The act of being disobedient directly affects your relationship with your father or mother, or anyone that has authority over you. If you do what you know you're supposed to do, you have a clear conscience and your heart does not condemn you. However, if you do what you know you're not supposed to do, you struggle with guilt, fear and other unhealthy emotions. In essence disobedience drives you from those you love.
Are you at peace with God? It was the scheme of the enemy back in the Garden to thrust us into sin and darkness, and he was successful. His sole desire is to strip us of our inheritance and of our identity in Christ. He has so orchestrated the world as to fill our heads with lies and confusion. But are you at peace with God? Is your relationship with him so powerful that you are overcoming the world?
Or are you hiding in a window well, fearful of what the future may bring, or even worse, fearful of your Father: Jesus? Talk with him. Tell him your heart, and then listen. He is faithful and just to cleanse you from all unrighteousness and fully restore you to your proper inheritance.
1 John 3:21
"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God."
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