Hidden Things

I always stand when I write.
I do not have a standing desk.
I actually stand at my kitchen island.
It is just the right height.

I have water handy, usually on the counter behind me.
Sometimes, I have a snack.
A nectarine, in pieces looking like a half moon, are on a plate.
I will often put a few nuts on the plate as well.

Organic almonds, cashews, and peanuts are my go-to choice.
The peanuts make me giggle.
The peanuts remind me of my oldest son.
The peanuts got him in trouble.

Three of my five children had their wisdom teeth extracted during their college years.
That oral surgery was always timed after school ended and before summer began.
My oldest and youngest never had their wisdom teeth removed.
My three children in between all needed to get them taken out.

I knew that there would be days of healing.
Ice packs helped swollen cheeks.
Salt water rinses helped to keep the sockets clean.
Favorite things to drink, without straws of course, were the order of the day.

They all did well with minimal pain.
They were diligent to rinse with salt water as directed.
It seemed to go without incident.
Until the checkup of my oldest son.

I went back in the room with each of them for that final checkup.
I wanted to know that the sockets healed well.
I remember the nurse looking in my son’s mouth before the doctor arrived.
I noticed a look on her face.

I seem to remember her doing a salt water rinse then and there.
I remember my son having to swish and rinse into the little sink.
I sat there and wondered why she made a face that she never thought I saw.
I would know soon enough.

The nurse left and I heard her conversing with the doctor in the hallway.
The oral surgeon came in with a large smile.
He did the usual small talk with my son.
He said hello to me as well.

We found some peanut pieces in two of your sockets? The oral surgeon announced.
I wanted to tell the oral surgeon he must be mistaken, but I knew better.
I wanted to say, Oh no, he followed all of your directions.
I looked over at my son and saw something in his face as well.

We got outside and walked towards the car.
Peanuts? I asked him.
Remember when I went to the Phillies game last night…
He did not need to say anything more.

For all intents and purposes, he did follow directions during his healing.
He did do the salt water rinses.
He was careful.
Until he went to a baseball game.

I looked at him and all I could do was laugh.
The night before you go for your final checkup, you had peanuts? I asked with emphasis.
Brushing his teeth and doing the salt water rinses the night before was not enough.
The tiny remnants of the peanuts, eaten at the baseball game, were still there.

Caught!

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. (Proverbs 28:13)

Eating peanuts at a baseball game and getting them stuck in wisdom teeth sockets is one thing.
Hiding our sins from God is quite another.
We think we are successfully concealing them.
We fail to remember that God sees.

Did you ever play hide and seek with a small child?
If they hide their face, while the rest of their body is visible, they still think they are hiding.
Arms and legs may be in full view.
However, if they cannot see you, they think you cannot see them.

A child will hide behind a narrow tree and think that they hid successfully.
Parents play along.
Where did you go? I can’t find you!
The children squeal in delight thinking they are the best hider in the world.

We do the same thing with God.
We think that we have covered our sins successfully.
We think that no one knows what we have done.
Since no one knows that must mean that God does not know either.

That could not be further from the truth.
God knows all.
God sees all.
However, because of His amazing grace, He loves us anyway.

The peanuts are found.
We never thought that the one little thing we did would ever be found out.
We may have fooled everyone, but not God.
God is merciful while being just.

All of our sin was placed on Jesus as He hung on the cross.
All of our sins, whether obvious or hidden, were placed on Him.
Jesus died the death that was meant for us.
Punishment was meted out to satisfy God’s wrath.

An innocent Person died in our place.
The righteous died for the unrighteous.
Jesus died instead of us.
We were caught, but by placing out trust in Jesus alone, we are redeemed.

The fact that we try to hide from God when we sin, goes all the way back to the Garden.
Adam and Eve tried to hide from God.
Adam and Eve tried to make coverings for themselves.
Nothing they could put together could adequately cover them.

But God.
God killed an animal and covered them with the animal’s skins.
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22)
Jesus blood was shed instead of ours.

We do not have to hide anymore.
God knows.
God sees.
God loves us anyway.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

We are caught, we are seen, we are known.
We must admit our sin, turn from it in repentance, and trust in Jesus alone for salvation.
There is no need to hide.
Not anymore.