At least once a month The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, and daughter will spend a day visiting thrift stores in our community. I’m not sure, so don’t quote me, but I think there’s a 100-mile radius where they do their shopping.
This past week was one of those days. As she was backing out of the driveway, I watched her and smiled as I waved goodbye. As she was going, something was bothering me, and I just couldn’t figure out what it was.
I had to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things for us. Walking past the bakery store, it suddenly came to mind what was bothering me. What it was, was a cookie.
As I walked by the bakery section, there were at least a dozen cookies wrapped up in front of me. I couldn’t help but go over and look at them, and the more I looked at them, the more appealing they seemed to be.
I didn’t know which one to take, but all of a sudden there it was, a chocolate chip cookie. Who in the world doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies? In that cookie box were six wonderful chocolate chip cookies.
I picked it up, and then got what I came for, went to the checkout and headed home.
Driving home, the aroma of those chocolate chip cookies made the drive so enjoyable.
When I got home, I went to my office and opened the bottom drawer of my desk, where I put them. Of course, I had to take one out before I closed the drawer.
As I munched on that cookie, my head was filled with the amazing aroma that just wouldn’t go away.
Before Martha got home, I’d delighted myself with three cookies. It’s been a long time since I had cookies like that — and that many at once.
I got to work on my latest project and was still working on it when Martha got home.
As she walked in, I heard her mumbling, “What is that smell?”
She came into my office, looked at me, and said, “What is that smell throughout the house? You didn’t buy any cookies today while I was away, did you?”
I looked at her and shook my head and said, “I don’t smell anything. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“There is a smell in this house that wasn’t here when I left this morning.” She just looked at me and was waiting for me to make a confession.
Looking at me, she said with one of her smiles, “You do know I will find out what you’re hiding.”
With that, she walked out of my office leaving me thinking on this. As I was thinking, I remembered a verse in the Bible.
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”
— Luke 12: 2
My thoughts got me evaluating my situation. One thing that came to my mind was, if I can’t hide anything from Martha, how do I think I can hide anything from God?
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
