Flashback to when you were a little kid, sitting on the couch with a giant “Where’s Waldo?” book in your lap. You could sit and stare at those pages for hours. Sometimes, finding Waldo was much easier than other times. Sometimes you could flip the page and spot him in less than 10 seconds, while other times, it felt like you were going to search for hours on end. Finding Waldo quickly most likely left you feeling confident and with a sense of pride, but when searching felt like an eternity, you probably became very frustrated and felt like giving up.

Now, compare your relationship with God to this game of “Where’s Waldo?” Let’s say Waldo is God. Sometimes you can find him without any thought. There are many times in life when you clearly see God, feel His presence, and know He is working without even having to think about it. During these seasons, life is great and everything is moving along nicely. You are motivated, you get along with everyone, reading your Bible isn’t a chore, and you are all-around happier. These days are a lot like the times when finding Waldo takes less than 10 seconds. You sit down, flip open the book, and immediately say, “Yep, there he is.” No need to second-guess it, so you turn the page.

Little did you know, this page was going to be more difficult. You search and search, but Waldo is nowhere to be found. Life with God can also feel like this. Some days you wake up, look around, and it feels like something is missing, like God has abandoned you. When you are left feeling this way, life takes a turn, and everything seems to be harder. Work is hard, you have lost your motivation to study, and at the end of the day, you are so tired you don’t even feel like picking up your Bible. During these times, it is very easy to become frustrated with God, just as you would become frustrated while playing “Where’s Waldo?”

What makes things even more infuriating is when you have spent what feels like a lifetime searching and then a friend comes, looks over your shoulder, and within seconds yells, “Look! There’s Waldo, I found him!” Sometimes, during your walk with Christ, it may feel like He is working in everyone else’s lives, but you are left on your own. Your friends talk about all of their opportunities, and how they see God moving, and you are frustrated because you just don’t see it. This is exactly like not being able to find Waldo when someone else can. The peace in this is that just because you can’t see Him, that doesn’t mean He isn’t there. You may not be able to see how the Lord is working in your life, but someone else can.

So what do you do when you struggle to find Waldo, or when everyone else can find him and you can’t? Do you give up and close the book, or do you continue to search for him? The answer to this question will either make or break you. You are now left with two scenarios with very different outcomes.

Scenario one: You close the book. You are tired of searching for Waldo, because he clearly does not want to be found. You feel the same way toward God. You can’t seem to find Him or feel His presence no matter how hard you try, so eventually, you decide to stop looking. At this point, life becomes dull, and it becomes easy for Satan to creep his way in. At the beginning, you tell yourself you’ll take a quick break, but then pick the book back up and begin searching again. Little did you know that when you put the book down, you would become distracted by all of the things you could be doing, and all of your responsibilities. The thought of finding Waldo and picking the book up again slips further and further away without you even noticing.

Scenario two: You keep searching. You persevere. You refuse to give up, because Waldo has to be on that page somewhere. The editor promises he is there, just like God promises He is with us. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Resting in this truth, you can keep searching with the hope that you will find Him because He is there.

So, yes, there will be times when trying to see God at work will feel like pulling teeth. There will be times when you try so hard to find God that you want give up. “Walking with Christ” by no means is a synonym for “I have it all together,” nor does it mean you have to pretend like life is perfect. God wants us to seek Him. He wants to have a relationship with us, so in return He seeks us as well. In The Garden of Eden, God calls out to Adam and Eve, asking them where they are (Gen. 3:9). He wants a relationship with you. So don’t be like Adam and Eve and hide from God. Do not give up and shut the book.

Keep on looking, because even though Waldo is hidden among the other colors on the page, he is there. Rest in the fact that God doesn’t hide himself among the colors of this earth, but He makes Himself known to you. Not being able to find God does not mean He has left you, but instead may mean that His plans are different than your own. Take a different perspective; take a step back; take a look around. God is with you, you just have to want to see Him as much as He wants to be with you.