We recently had an annual celebration at church that always proves to be a memorable day—Homecoming.  As always, we had plans for lots of great singing and plenty of good food, and it proved to be just that.

Every time we have dinner at church, Gale cooks up far more than our family can eat, and she followed her usual pattern this year for the Homecoming meal. 

I recall another Homecoming Sunday from several years back when I tried to tamper with her cooking while she was not looking.  She got her pots on the stove early in the morning, and all was simmering along just fine.  It was then that she asked me to keep an eye on things while she took a shower and dressed for church.  The kitchen is no strange place to me and cooking is not something that I have no track record in, so I gladly complied.

Gale is wiser than I in the amount of salt added to dishes; she always goes light with it, but I have been guilty of overdoing it (when you grow up on salty fatback and country ham, it is difficult to cut back on the seasoning!).  So, while she was safely out of sight, I did a taste test on the squash and potatoes and found just what I expected:  good but short on salt.  I quickly grabbed the box of salt out of the cabinet, tossed a generous dose into both pots, and then just as rapidly put the box back where I found it without being detected.

It seems somehow that ladies have a way of seeing things that no one else can see.  That comes in real handy when I am searching for something that I cannot find; when I swallow my pride and ask my wife to help me in the search, it is not unusual for her to quickly see what I had been looking all over for.  But there are other times when that ability is not necessarily in my favor—such as Sunday morning in the kitchen! 

I thought all was well with my tapering with her cooking, but as soon as Gale walked over to the stove she asked if I had added salt to something.  I tried the innocent thing, hoping that her inquiry would pass without further investigation, by asking her what she meant.  She responded, “There’s salt all over the top of the stove!”  If I thought I was in stealth mode, she proved me wrong; what I thought was undetectable left undeniable evidence.  I am reminded of a statement in the Old Testament of the Bible that says, “You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

White salt on a black glass top stove is not an unnoticeable material.  She did not scold me for my actions, though, for which I am thankful. 

There are times in life when we feel unnoticed, but we can rest assured that God sees all that we do and He knows the intent of our hearts.  He sees not only our shortcomings and sins, but also our needs.  Proverbs 15:3 reminds us that “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (New International Version).

Even in those moments when we think we are out of sight and out of mind of everyone, the truth is we are never hidden from the watchful eyes of God.