Reminders (10/4/2023)

I don’t know about anyone else, but I, personally, have found that the older I get, the more I need reminders. I don’t trust that I will remember I am out of onions at the store, so I have a running grocery list on my frig door. I keep a “to do list” going on my calendar, checking off things as I do them and knowing that without the list, I’d forget half of them. I put alarms in my phone to remind me of appointments, meetings, birthdays, and anniversaries.

The reminders in my life, however, aren’t limited to what I need to accomplish. My life is full of reminders of who I am and that I am not alone on this journey. They keep me honest, they make me humble, they stir up gratitude.

I keep a crucifix in my pocket to remind me always that I am a daughter of the LORD, a disciple of Christ, a temple of the Spirit, and that I am never alone. My spoon rest on the stovetop is from a friend and makes me remember the blessing of that relationship as well as my relationship with other friends. At my desk, my cup coaster is a homemade Christmas gift from my son when he was in middle school and reads “Love bears all things” to remind me to go easy on him. So many pieces of Lennox on my hutch shelves remind me of my daughter Kirsten’s search for my favorite pattern and the love that fuels that search. And on my table in the family room, the little plaque my daughter Kendra gave me makes me smile every time I see it because it tells me she’s glad I am her mom.

As I journey through life, being where I am supposed to be is important. Having what I need is important. But being who I am called to be surpasses the others. And above all, I am to be a loving, humble, and grateful person. And thanks to the people in my life, I have reminders that I see every day that call me into being the one I am called to be, that remind me of my calling but also of my companions on the journey. I just love reminders.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t stop momentarily, take in the “reminder,” picture the one who gave it, pray to the LORD that I live what prompted my benefactor to give me this gift, and thank the LORD for the life of this person. Reminders are often such small items with so much message. I just love them.

As we continue our journeys in faith, hope, and love, let us not be in such a hurry that we miss the sights of reminders that call us to be the ones we are created to be, the ones we are called to be, the ones our relationships have blessed us to be. And as we take time to remember, let us always remember the role of the LORD in that blessing, that calling, that life.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.