Sherlock Holmes was one of the cassettes my kids listened to. The storyteller adapted the chapters for children, and captivated their attention. The Speckled Band, and the Red Headed League come to mind. I recall a time the kids were fractious, and in a plot to distract them I started playing a tape. They plopped on the floor and parked their chins in their palms. 

 

"I want to not listen, but I can't," one admitted. 

 

A friend told a story about his childhood ambition to be like Sherlock. In an effort to train his attention he purposely rode his bike looking for clues. He noticed a bird's nest that was right in plain sight. Another day he spied a gnarled tree trunk.

 

We once owned a book called Where's Waldo. This was one of my children's favorites, and kept them huddled on the couch for hours. If you have never cracked it, there are pages crammed with images, and one small man with a red and white striped shirt. Honing the ability to hunt can serve us later in life as well. 

 

I Spy is both a series of similar books, and a game. It is my go to strategy when small children are wiggly. 

 

There is a passage in Scripture that invites us to "Seek the Kingdom of God", with seek being the action word. It turns out that God likes to hide things too. Perhaps He believes our lives are richer for having to search for the myriad blessings strewn in our path. 

 

But the antecedent to looking is to believe they exist.