For the last few years, I’ve been on a rather strict diet, courtesy of my wife Martha, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage.
I have some health issues, and I’m not allowed to eat anything with much sugar in it. Everything contains sugar in her view, except, of course, broccoli.
Every once in a while, maybe once or twice a month, she’ll give me a sugar-free cookie. She says it's because I’ve been good in my diet.
I quickly figured if she can bring me one cookie, there’s a stash of them somewhere in the house. If anybody can hide anything without me finding it, it’s Martha.
Every year for a week, she and her daughters go to St. Augustine and visit all of the area thrift stores. They’ve done this for many years.
While she’s on that trip the last couple of years, I spend time looking for the cookie stash. I started in her craft room where she spends so much time, but found absolutely nothing resembling a cookie.
I then scoured the rest of the house. I admit, I’m not very good at activities like this, but where desserts are concerned — even those sans sugar — I can be diligent in my pursuit.
The day before they were to return from St. Augustine, I hit the jackpot.
Behind the washer and dryer, shelves were filled with the stuff she needed to do the laundry. I looked very closely at every aspect of that little room, and then I spied them.
In the corner, I discovered six, very-well hidden boxes of the cookies.
I couldn’t believe my fortune. I took the opportunity to open one of those boxes, took out two cookies, put the box back, and went to my lazy chair to enjoy them. After all, a cookie in my hand is worth two in the cupboard.
A week later, Martha came into my office, stood at the door, and just stared at me for a few seconds. I had no idea what she was up to because I was deep in my day’s work.
Finally, she said, “You didn’t find the boxes of sugar-free cookies, did you?”
To lie to Martha is as close to the death penalty as anybody could get. I looked at her for a few seconds and then said, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she said.
At this point, I realized I was caught red-handed. I had to confess and promise never to do it again.
Several days later, when she was out shopping, I went to the closet looking for those cookies and, to my surprise, they were gone. I don’t know if I’ll ever find them again, but I won’t give up looking.
I then recalled a verse in Jeremiah that fit the situation:
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
— Jeremiah 33: 3
God has wonderful treasures for me, and He delights in revealing them to me as I need them.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is jamessnyder5’@gmail.com.
Comments