Hiding Place

Thiago wriggled into the little thicket of shrubs behind the garage. It was his own special hiding place where he always went when he was feeling unhappy and wanted to be alone. Today he felt bad because he'd missed a ball in the ninth inning of his baseball game, and the other kids got mad at him. He sighed deeply as he thought about it.A little bird rustled in the bushes, and the wind sighed softly overhead in the trees. As Thiago listened to the sounds around him, he began to forget his sadness. He always felt better in his hiding place. Then he heard his mother's voice. "Thiago!" she called. "Grandpa's here." Thiago quickly scrambled out. He didn't want to miss Grandpa's visit.A few minutes later, Thiago and Grandpa were sipping lemonade on the porch. "Where were you just now?" Grandpa asked."I was feeling bad about missing a ball in our game this afternoon, so I went to my special hiding place," Thiago replied, knowing Grandpa would never tell anyone. "It's in the bushes over there behind the garage.""I had a hiding place of my own when I was a boy," said Grandpa. "It was in the hayloft of the barn." He beamed. "I still have a hiding place."Thiago looked surprised. "You do?" He wondered what kind of place someone Grandpa's age would use to hide out.Grandpa nodded. "Get your Bible, and I'll show you where I go." Thiago ran to his room and soon returned with his Bible. "Look up Psalm 32:7," said Grandpa.Thiago found the verse and read it out loud. "You are my hiding place." Thiago frowned. "You mean God is your hiding place?""Yep," said Grandpa. "God's presence is the best hiding place of all. I can go to Him wherever I am and tell Him how I feel. When I do, Jesus fills me with comfort and peace, and I know I can trust Him to be with me and work things out for my good." Grandpa smiled and gave Thiago a hug. "Next time you're sad, why not use the same hiding place I do--go to God. You can do that in your secret hiding place or wherever you are."-Carolyn E. Yost