All knowing...

It's a huge mystery to children everywhere. It's a phenomenon known around the world. It occurs in my house. It happens at your house. Kids have come to expect it.

"It" is the inexplicable ability to achieve what seems to be extrasensory perception:  Mom's gift of knowing where any object is, at any given time and in any given place. Honestly. ESP.

When I was a kid, I was astounded by the fact that my mom knew the exact location of every "lost" item. The laundry room corner was where I dumped over my swim gear, including the goggles for which I had "looked EVERYWHERE."  She told me I'd find my toothbrush in the backseat of the car. Mom was totally aware of the fact that one tennis shoe resided in the garage, while its match lay upside down behind our family room sofa. I would have sworn that mom intentionally placed items in the most improbable locations for the sheer pleasure of messing with my mind!

Moms and their knack of keeping a home seems effortless. Think about it. Take the last roll of toilet paper out of the closet and next time you look, Wa-lah! there's a full supply of toilet paper in there. An extra bottle of ketchup is always on hand. Use the last squirt of body wash and the following day, the empty bottle is gone and a full bottle has magically appeared in the shower caddy.

On top of all this, add mom's wisdom! Mom knows exactly what to say for a broken heart. For loneliness. Hurt. Sadness.

While moms seem to be wise superheroes with all-knowing and all-seeing powers, now and again, we mess up. Moms are human after all.

This month, I've been writing out verses of Scripture from the book of Job. Near the end of the book, God talks to Job and pointedly asks Job about God's greatness. God's words struck a chord with me and helped me reflect on his utter sovereignty, yet precise care and love.

While I might mess up caring for my family, God never errs. His care is constant and perfect.

From Psalm 34, here from The Message:

15 God keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.
16 God won’t put up with rebels;
he’ll cull them from the pack.
17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.
18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.
20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.
21 The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.
22 God pays for each slave’s freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.