I sat in the back seat of the car as we began the 25-minute car ride to our destination. On either side of me sat two young companions. I had wondered how we might occupy ourselves during this drive. Before leaving my house, I had quickly grabbed a couple of books, among which was “1001 Things to Spot on the Farm.”

In the early years of our childhood, my sister and I had spent many hours in one of those “hide and seek” books. As youngsters, it gave us a challenge to find an object, a color, etc. in the midst of a picture bustling with activity. Now that I was with these little ones, I had no idea if they would enjoy such a book in the same way that we had at their age. To my surprise and great delight, the book was wildly loved and we managed to spot all of the objects listed on every page during our round-trip journey!

In our so often fast-paced, entertainment-driven society, we can forget that even the small things bring joy and wonder. We had a marvelous time with book-in-hand, spotting all of the objects. I think it benefits children to sit down for a time, to explore a picture, paying attention to small details, and learning to notice the little things.

I think that life can resemble one of these picture books. So much happens in every chapter of our lives that it often requires taking a moment to stop and really see the things that are hidden. Life gets full, busy, and we get distracted. But, what if we took a moment to look for those hidden things…those blessings from God? Maybe we would discover that they weren’t hidden after all. They were there all along, but we did not see them because of our preoccupation with other things. What if we slowed down to notice and appreciate God’s involvement in our lives? I wonder how it would calm our hearts and bring joy in knowing that His loving hand is ever at work in our lives!

“Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!”

Psalm 68:19

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.”

Psalm 103:2

We wanted to recommend books that could be enjoyed by a younger child and we think these are perfect. (Though you might like them too! 🙂 ) If you are interested in either of these books, you can find them by clicking on the following links. Both of these books are one, in a series of several, so you might want to explore the other options as well.

1001 Things to Spot on the Farm Sticker Book (on Amazon)

1001 Things to Spot on the Farm Sticker Book (from publisher)

Look and Find Bible

Publisher’s age recommendation: 4 years and up.

Perhaps for sentmental purposes only, I inserted this picture. But this is the book that Annie and I found so fascinating when we were little. Funny how art styles change. 😉

-Rebekah

Photos by: Matt Enterline