Hidden in Plain Sight

It’s interesting how sometimes we can’t even see what’s right in front of us.

This morning, I was digging through the bottom drawer of my refrigerator—the freezer, which I absolutely love, by the way—looking for a big bag of edamame in the pods. I moved things around, shifted bags, really looked, and… nothing. No edamame. Frustrated, I closed the drawer and went on with my morning.

A little later, I came back to grab frozen bananas for a smoothie. I opened the freezer drawer, and there it was. The bag of edamame. Sitting right on top. In plain sight.

How in the world did I miss it?

In that moment, I realized how familiar this experience felt. Not just in the kitchen, but in life.

How often do we worry and fret over a situation, wondering how it will ever work out or what we’re going to do next? We turn it over in our minds again and again, searching for answers, feeling anxious and stuck. And then—in my experience, sometimes later, sometimes almost immediately after praying and asking God for help—the solution appears.

Nothing about the situation has changed. The problem is still the same. But we have changed. Our perspective has shifted. Our hearts have quieted. Our eyes have opened.

The answer was there all along. We just couldn’t see it yet.

That bag of edamame reminded me that in life’s difficult situations, when we pause, pray, and trust, God often reveals what’s already in front of us. Not always by changing our circumstances, but by changing us—our focus, our readiness, our ability to see clearly.

So, before we assume the answer isn’t there; before we panic, rush, or give up… maybe it’s time to pause, pray, and look again. God may have already placed what we need right in front of us—waiting for the right moment, and the right heart, for us to finally see it.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which He has called you.” Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

January 2, 2026 Morning Brew

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