In Plain Sight

The toys my children played with are getting another turn.
This time, they are being used by my three granddaughters.
The toys are in great shape, though they have been well played.
They have been well played by five children.

They were well played by the children who came to my home with their mothers.
Whether it be for tea around my kitchen table, or Wednesday Bible study, the toys were used.
A friend asked me if any of the pieces were missing from any of the toys.
I could tell her, without exaggeration, that no pieces were missing.

I can’t explain it.
I am not obsessive about minutia.
I simply taught the children to put things away so they were ready for the next playtime.
If something was misplaced, we found it and put it back where it belonged.

We even had a system for library books.
The younger ones had their books in a large wicker basket in the family room.
The books were kept in the basket when they were not being read.
The older ones had their library books in their room, and they were responsible for them.

I wanted the children to learn to take care of their things.
The training took root.
Of course things got misplaced every so often, but for the most part, the toys stayed intact.
My children fondly remember a particular toy when they see their nieces play with it.

Oh, the memories.

Everything had a place but that didn’t mean they were not imaginative with the toys.
On the contrary.
They were quite imaginative and kept me on my toes.
I had the microwave to prove it.

In our second house, the one we built, the microwave was on a cart in the kitchen.
I am not a big user of microwaves and didn’t see the need to have it placed above the stove.
For its occasional use, the cart was fine.
The cart had a shelf for my cookbooks and a lower cabinet which held art supplies.

I remember the day that I had to warm something quickly in the microwave.
I remember having a baby in my arms.
I opened the door of the microwave only to find food inside.
Not real food, rather pretend food from the play kitchen.

Someone had decided to cook dinner for a menagerie of dolls.
The easiest way to cook was using the microwave which was just the right height.
Thankfully, no buttons were pushed.
I had to remove pizza, corn on the cob, and cupcakes with a baby in my arms.

This past weekend my son, daughter-in-love, and granddaughter were here.
The play kitchen is still a favorite toy.
It is now upstairs in the grandchild room we have set up.
It is a room with a “big girl bed,” kitchen, table and chairs, and lots of stuffed animals.

Since my sweet granddaughter will be two-years-old in the spring, she likes to play nearby.
A few of her favorite Little People sets are brought into the family room.
She loves the drawers in the coffee table that have checkers, chess, and a Mancala board.
It is the container of Mancala gems that she especially loves.

Since she knows her colors, it is fun to have her pick out certain gems.
She was carrying around the case of Mancala gems quite a lot this weekend.
After they left, I had to put something away in those drawers.
The Mancala container was not there.

I looked in all the possible places.
I tried to think like my granddaughter and imagine where she might have put it.
It was nowhere to be found.
I knew I could buy more gems, but I know how much she likes to play with this little container.

I had to go into my pantry later that evening when I was making dinner.
There, on a lower shelf, was the little container of Mancala gems.
I laughed and reminisced.
She reminded me of my own children; she reminded me of me!

When I was a little girl, I loved my grandmother’s pantry.
I can still smell the spices in my memory.
The pantry cabinet was higher off the ground.
I needed a step stool to reach it.

The pantry had a pull chain light that I would turn on and off.
I would rearrange the things on the shelves.
I would pretend that I was buying the food at the store.
I don’t know if I ever left a favorite toy in the pantry, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. (Luke 8:17)

That container of Mancala gems is a little treasure to my granddaughter.
It is small enough to hold in her hands.
It is filled with colorful things that make noise when the container is shaken.
It can be opened and closed with a little help, since her hands are too small.

I could not find that which was in plain sight.
How many times I opened my pantry that day and just didn’t see it.
I didn’t expect to find it there.
Consequently, the container went unnoticed.

We may think that we can hide things from God, but to Him, they are always in full view.
We may think we are concealing something that makes us uncomfortable, but He sees.
We may justify our actions by saying, no one will know.
God knows.

That is a comfort.
God knows everything about us, yet still loves us.
We have to come to Him and confess that which we want to hide.
God sees what we think we covered up and redeems it.

Our sin may not be in full view of other people, but it is in full view of God.
The Mancala gems were on the pantry shelf but I just didn’t see them.
The container couldn’t have been more obvious.
I just didn’t have eyes to see.

Thank You, Father, for seeing everything about us, yet loving us anyway. It is a comfort that nothing we do is hidden from You. To be fully known and fully loved is a wonderful thing. Make us more like Your Son, so we can be pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus name. Amen.