05 Nov Looking for Something?

So, this past week I went to the circus.

(Pause for effect)

Oh yea, be jealous. Okay well, don’t actually be jealous, but take this moment to remember how it felt when you were 7 years old, walking into that gigantic arena with the smell of fresh popcorn and sticky cotton candy in the air. The vendors calling each other out, trying to steal each other’s customers. The thrill of walking into that space and wondering what wonders you were going to see. Recapture that for a second.

OKay, now exit the circus and imagine being in the parking lot, with 8 middle school/elementary aged girls, realizing you can’t find the keys to the van.

Yeah. That happened.

So the search for the keys began. We thought at first that we might have locked them in the van itself, and by God’s grace had left one of the windows cracked enough that a small, long, arm could probably reach down and unlatch the lock. If you thought the circus was a spectacle, well, it was nothing compared to 5 middle schoolers and me trying to lift the smallest girl up high enough that she could reach into the van. There was also far too much giggling for this attempt to have actually been successful. However, after 3 more attempts and a few overly extended limbs, (they all wanted to try) we were able to…break into our own van, so to speak. But upon searching the van, every glove compartment, every crevice, every pocket and cupholder…no dice.

So we sent half of the group back in to check the arena while we continued searching in the van. When the excitement of the search began to wane, we decided to pray (like we should have done at the beginning, but we’re learning).  And the girls, who for the most part enjoy speaking at higher volumes than would be considered normal, quieted down, circled up and prayed with me. And as we were praying, we hear this little jubilant shout from across the street,

“WE FOUND THE KEYS! WE FOUND THE KEYS!”

We turn to see the two youngest girls with our other leader, leaping for joy as they crossed over to the van..keys swinging like a flag of victory.

It might sound like a simple story: something lost being found. But that’s just it. I keep thinking about this idea of searching. We’re repeating  the catch phrase, “Looking for something?” all over our promo video for Zeteo. We’re writing about seeking and searching in our dramas and dances. We’re envisioning what it looks like to need something and take the time to really go after it.

And I guess what I am starting to see, is that sometimes we go looking for one thing and find something completely different. We were looking for those keys, and don’t get me wrong, I am glad we found them. But in the midst of that, I found an opportunity to connect with those girls in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise. We enjoyed ourselves more in those 20 minutes looking for the keys than we did the entire circus. And honestly, our search for the keys brought us closer to God than anything else in that day.

So what is it you’re looking for?

And will that thing ultimately bring you closer to God?

Or closer to something else?

The world’s a circus. Everything in it clamors for our attention. The TV beckons like trapeze artists in sparkly costumes. Facebook beckons us like loud callers with popcorn. Our relationships and jobs and schoolwork parade around like showhorses and elephants to the tune of grand bandstand numbers. And in the midst of that, where’s your focus?  What are you looking for?

If you’re looking for success, you might find it.

If you’re looking for distraction…you might find it.

If you’re looking for a show… you might find it.

But if you’re looking for God…you will find him.

He promises that. He is faithful.

And the coolest part is, you can find him in the circus, or out of it.

So don’t give up looking.

Don’t give up the search.

The seeking and the finding are two halves of a beautiful whole.

Don’t miss either one.

“If you seek me you will find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”

~Jeremiah 29:13