enjoy the chase

when i was a young girl, i remember that we used to play tag, or chase as we called it, at recess. it was usually boys against girls, of course, with equal number of each of us. the boys would chase the girls until they caught one of us and put us in jail. as each one of us was caught, there were more boys to gang up on the girls that were left which made it harder to get away. finally, when all the girls were caught and put in jail, they would let us all out, to then, chase them. i remember it being so much fun, giggling and laughing the whole time. but, really i loved being chased more than chasing. i liked the idea that someone was wanting to capture me, even though it was my duty to try to get away because that was the way that you played the game, i kind of liked it when i got caught. isn't that funny to think i pretended like i didn't want to get caught and i ran like i didn't want to get caught but i loved the chase and loved it when i did get caught.

then, when i became a teenager, the game was still the same but i wasn't quite so obvious about the running to get away part. when i knew a boy liked me, i would enjoy his attention and be nice to him. but, i would always keep him at an arm's length away. then, when i decided that i liked one of them enough, i would let him
catch me. it always seemed that the chase was so much more fun than being caught because once I had a boyfriend, or was caught, the chase wasn't there anymore.

i think that we all love being chased or pursued. it meets a need inside of us that desires to be wanted. it makes us feel good to know that someone sees something in us that makes them want to go out of their way to seek us out, to be close to us, or get to know us more. even today, i find myself still enjoying being pursued by my husband, my children, and my friends. when they call me up and want to go to lunch, or want to go to the movies together, or just out for coffee, it makes me have that same feeling inside of enjoying the chase of someone who thinks i might be a little bit interesting or fun to be with.

then there are those times that seem like they are not so fun, like everyone has caught me already and they are on to the next person who is more interesting than me. it is during those times of feeling kind of left out and lonely that i turn my heart to God and realize that there is still Someone who wants me and is pursuing me continuously, no matter if i reject Him over and over again, He still continues to seek me out and chase me down. That Someone is my heavenly Father who chases me with a detemination to capture me and yet even in the capture of a portion of me, still
continues to pursue me until He has all of me. Ezekiel 34:11 states, "For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I Myself, will search for My sheep and will seek them out."
God, Himself, is seeking me out and chasing me because He thinks that i am worth the chase. when i think about that, the giggles and the laughter come strongly in my heart. it makes me enjoy Him more because i know that He sees me as worthy of the chase. and, as i recognize His pursuit, i recognize how much He loves me and His devotion to me no matter what. even when i look for the thrill of the chase in someone besides Him, He never gets discouraged and never quits. each time i recognize the thrill in me at knowing that God Himself is chasing me, my desire and need to look for a pursuer in someone else lessens and i just want to relish in His love and enjoy the chase.