Hidden In Plain Sight

I heard a sermon recently from Levi Lusko entitled, “Hidden in Plain Sight.” While his point in his sermon is different than mine here, the title, struck a chord.  If you’ve been reading each week since I’ve started this blog, then you’re aware of the journey my life has taken over the past year. To be honest, it’s really been much longer than just a handful of months. While I initially began turning this phrase of being ‘hidden in plain sight’ over in my mind, I started to hear myself drone on and on about that’s how much of this past year has felt. On one hand, I feel called to pursue Rooted Leaders, on the other hand, it’s been a journey that hasn’t produced the fruit yet I thought it would. It’s this lack of fruit that has drawn my attention. Is the lack of progress due to my impatience in a ‘I need it NOW’ culture? Does it stem from a lack of knowledge or preparedness? Am I not reaping the harvest because I am not on the right road after all? Am I being ‘hidden’ or covered by God’s hand during this period for an unknown reason? Or maybe it’s from my desire to prove to myself and others that this company IS the right path for me that I’ve taken the reins away from God to show I can accomplish this ‘great and mighty’ feat all the while leaving God in my rearview mirror on the side of the road?

The answer? I don’t know..maybe several of those reasons above, maybe none. What I DO know is to go back to the last time I felt God’s hand in this journey and examine what and how I was proceeding and examine how is it different than today. When I stop and begin the difficult work of honestly scrutinizing my life and my choices, I lean strongly towards the last option above…that I took the reins away from God to prove to myself and others that I was headed in the right direction and really could make this work. Sadly, that is the great irony. This ENTIRE journey has been about my developing relationship with God. And it’s kind of hard to do just that if He’s not involved in the process. My reading books about Him or listening to pastors expound on various aspects of the Bible are all great, but they do little to grow and develop a relationship if I’m not actively talking AND listening to the one person whose favor I seek. How can I possibly know what to do if I’m not stopping to ask and wait for a response? How can I help anyone else if I’m not praying before I go to appointments for God’s presence to be there and His guiding hand to be working? In essence, I realized I was beginning to feel my vision was invisible to everyone else-hidden in plain sight; while I in turn, was going about my duties and allowing my self-created ‘to do list’ to hide God who is patiently waiting on me to stop and look for Him so He can begin to accomplish all of the things I cannot.

It’s the self-created busyness that often hides the very thing we seek. If I’m not spending time with God and learning more about who He is, then how do I expect to have what I need to pour into someone else? While I love a good to do list with all the boxes neatly checked off or lines drawn through the items, it accomplishes little if I’m not spending time with the Creator of the Universe to ensure I’m focused on accomplishing the RIGHT things. It’s through His divine hand where inspiration is poured. it’s His hand that opens the doors I’d like to walk through. It’s His love and blessing that will draw others to me. It’s His calling on His children where this company is rooted. But out of my fear, I create unnecessary busyness so that I can tell myself I’m ‘doing my part’ when in reality; I’m not. If I would simply spend my time throughout the day so connected to God that I am not afraid of what others tell me I should or should not be doing, then I can prevent the wrong choices and decisions that are wasting both my time and my finances. if I would trust the God who clearly shut the doors to my previous career and has led me to where I’m standing today, to provide whatever resources HE wants for this company, then I have nothing to fear. But, if I continue to allow my self-created lists to pile high and hide Him from my eyes, then this company will never bear the fruit He had intended.

It’s hard. It’s hard to make ‘worldly’, daily, business decisions based on a spiritual calling and walk. It’s hard not to be convinced that adding a new feature, website, connection, program-you name it-which has helped others succeed isn’t also a good idea for me. But I’m realizing, daily, that this company is not going to be a ‘typical’ company. The decisions and choices I make are not going to be based on the ‘worldly’ view of what I should/should not do, but rather on what God leads me to-on the peace I feel in my gut that this decision is right. I’m learning that if my interest in a new ‘gadget’ is based out of fear, then that’s my signal, it’s not the right answer or the right timing for me to pursue. To trust in God more than ‘worldly’ advice that His timing is perfect; His provision is enough; and to keep my focus so closely connected to Him, that I can lead this company in the direction He intends for it to go. That, that is hard. To trust to be hidden in plain sight is for my good-to give me time to grow my own roots. To allow myself the room needed and learn to look to Him more than anyone or anything else now, when the stakes are small, so that my roots will be so permeated in Him that as we grow, our foundation is secure.

That’s my encouragement for you. Maybe you too are walking through a season where things are not working out exactly like you thought they would. If that’s the case, stop and look for God. Look to see if you’ve taken the reins away from Him or have ‘covered’ Him up from your sight. Then go back, repent, and start again. Trust His timing. Trust His provision. Trust Him. And allow yourself, if necessary, to be hidden in plain sight.