Hidden in Plain Sight
Several months ago, I wrote a devotion about the disappearance of Tess' beloved toy, Robby the Robot. The poor pup was beside herself with worry over her missing companion, and despite our thorough searches, Robby remained elusive. We eventually concluded she must have taken it outside and lost it in the bushes and bramble.
A couple of days ago, I was sitting in the dining room when Tess came in and began pawing frantically under the bookshelf. She stretched and reached as if trying desperately to recover something trapped beneath. My first thought? Kibble. If you've ever seen a terrier play with a treat-dispensing toy, you know food goes flying in all directions.
I grabbed my duster with the extended handle and poked under the bookshelf. Yes, there was kibble under there, but that wasn't all. To my astonishment, there was Robby the Robot, hiding all this time in a place I hadn't even thought to look! Tess's little tail wagged with such force I thought she might lift off the floor. Jason and I promptly cleaned Robby up, filled him with kibble, and set him on the floor. Tess immediately knocked him over and raced around the room. She was one happy pup!
As I watched her celebrate this reunion, I couldn't help but think about how often God's provisions are like Robby—right where we are but somehow just out of view. How many times have I prayed desperately for answers while God was saying, "Look, it's right there!"
We humans have a peculiar tendency to complicate matters. We search far and wide for solutions God has already placed within arm's reach. We expect burning bushes and parting seas when God often works through the ordinary. A friend's timely text. A verse that suddenly makes sense. A random conversation that provides unexpected clarity. Or even the heartfelt devotion of a middle-aged redhead.
The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Sometimes, what appears to be God's absence is merely our failure to notice His presence in the everyday. Sadly, we're often too busy looking for the dramatic to notice the quiet provision right beside us.
Think about your own life for a moment. How many times have you prayed fervently for guidance while overlooking the wise mentor God placed in your church? Or desperately sought financial provision when an opportunity for work sat in an overlooked email? Perhaps you've longed for comfort during a difficult season, all while a neighbor has been quietly dropping hints about wanting to invite you for tea. God rarely announces His provisions with trumpets and fanfare. Instead, He gently places what we need within our reach, inviting us to pay closer attention to the ordinary blessings that surround us daily. The answer to your prayer might not be arriving tomorrow; it might already be here today.
Like Tess, who needed my duster to reach what was always there, perhaps we need to allow God to extend our reach and adjust our focus. His provisions aren't necessarily missing. Sometimes, they're simply hidden in plain sight.