In Plain Sight

We hid many of Nick's Christmas presents in plain sight this year. Every day for two weeks he walked by a scantily clad marshmallow shooter sitting on a shelf in the garage. His ukelele, head up and hushed, hid among tennis rackets. His new workout equipment lay in a bin by the door. Gifts exposed, but undetected.

A friend shared how the power outages from a recent ice storm here in Arkansas drove her three-year-old television-deprived child into her lap for a long conversation in front of the fire.  They quietly conversed and he fell asleep in her arms.  Mother and child, sharing the space of a house, yet driven close to be blessed by the chill. 

Romans 1 declares God "hides" in plain sight, yet people refuse to see Him, acknowledge Him, crawl into His lap, or even thank Him.

"The truth about God is plain to them.

God has made it plain.

Ever since the world was created

it has been possible to see the qualities of God that are not seen.

I’m talking about His eternal power and about the fact that He is God.

Those things can be seen in what He has made.

So people have no excuse for what they do.

They knew God. But they didn’t honor Him as God.

They didn’t thank Him. Their thinking became worthless.

Their foolish hearts became dark.

They claimed to be wise. But they made fools of themselves.

Romans 1:19-22



God, Immanuel, plainly present with us, should inspire our worship and gratitude. Sadly, we prefer to stay busily distracted. Our foolish hearts darken with overdoses of gadgets and lesser goals. Outside, stars wink God's love to us but instead of winking back, we move indoors to listen to the puny opinions of people who don't acknowledge Him or know Him. Trees raise their branches in praise to their Creator, yet we fail to thank Him for life. While Love waits to wrap us and rock us, we love what doesn't love back. 

Lord, don't let us miss what's in plain sight or waste another opportunity to see You, to praise You, to worship You, to thank You.  We lift our hands and hearts to say "Glory to the God of all that is - Who created gift after gift placed in plain sight."  Thank You for families, jobs, shelter, love, hugs, kisses, closeness, friends, working bodies, functioning brains, changes in weather, books, pets, covers, heat, windows, wood, taste buds, water, and babies. Just counting the blessings in plain sight lightens loads and opens eyes to see more of You. 

In the Name of Jesus, Immanuel!