GENTLE REMINDERS

A particular week had been one of those "downer" weeks for me. I had been feeling somewhat complacent with life in general, finding fault with a myriad of circumstances and situations.  My past and current relationships seemed to be in an upheaval, changes taking place at work made me cautious, my financial situation brought worry and fear to my mind and my struggles in finding my purpose in life was frustrating.  I just didn't know who Bud was anymore.  I didn't know what Bud wanted or where Bud was headed and worse yet, I didn't know if God really cared about Bud and any of those things I was dealing with.  So I become somewhat withdrawn from the world and those around me.  I found myself wanting to sleep a lot and not have to talk to anyone.  I wanted to be alone, so once Friday rolled around I made it clear to those who know me that I just needed time for myself.  Time to not have to answer to anyone.  Time to just do whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do it.

 

I started this therapeutic self-searching weekend by spending part of my Saturday morning going through a few boxes that I have stored in my garage. What I ended up doing most of Saturday and part of Sunday was more loads of laundry than I ever imagined I would be doing!!   I came across a lot of clothing that I had forgotten about since my two moves to where I now live.  Some of it I had wished I had never found. You may be wondering how I got any answers to my depressive state by doing all of that laundry, and I am going to have to admit that it wasn't the laundry that helped me at all.  You see, as I went through box after box of "stuff" I came upon things from my past.  A photo of my grandfather and grandmother. Another photo of my first father who died when I was three years old.  I found drawings I had done as a child, poetry I had written as a teen.  I came across POW/MIA badges that I had picked up at the recruiters office right before I joined the military at 18 years of age.  I came across my Boy Scout pins, an old belt buckle that I wore as a youth, the Bible that I carried when I was in the Army Reserves and a bag full of tokens and old coins that I had found with a metal detector. I found greeting cards that my children had made me and cards from people dear to my heart that expressed their love for me.  I found pictures of me with my girlfriend, my children and my family. With every item that I picked up, I found a sense of belonging.  I received a sense of remembrance and a feeling of warmth and love.  All of those momentos were small parts of my life, and just pieces of who I am today and the kind of man that I have turned out to be. Yes, some of those items have intangible memories with them. My father, grand parents, girlfriend are no longer a viable part of my life. All have past on in one way or another yet what they left behind will remain with me forever. Other items are much more tangible.  My kid's drawings and cards, pictures of my brothers and sisters, my own drawings and of course, my Bible.  All of those items I can still experience today.  I can still go there and witness the love and comfort and more importantly, see first hand why I am here and what my purpose truly is.

 

That Saturday morning going through boxes of old "stuff", was a morning filled with gentle reminders of my life and the vast amount of love and wonderful experiences I have been blessed with.  It gave me comfort about my past and gave me encouragement for my future.

God is just like that in our walk with Him.  Sometimes we become complacent in our faith and in our walk as Christians.  Sometimes we forget who God is and how personal He desires to be with us, but he sends us a gentle reminder in the form of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said in John 14; 25-27; "All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will REMIND you of all things and will REMIND you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid."

Just like all those little pieces of my life that I came across reminded me of those who have loved and cared for me, the Holy Spirit reminds us all of how much God loves us.  Jesus promises to send us a Counselor in our time of need and to give us the Peace that we need to live in this earthly world.  He promises us a Comforter when our hearts are troubled and afraid.

I do not think my Saturday morning experience was happenstance at all.  I believe with all my heart that it was God revealing His love for me and giving me back my assurance for my life.  I want to encourage you today, right now, that if you find yourself worried or troubled or afraid about life to turn it over to God, and to ask for the Holy Spirit to comfort you in your time of need.  God is faithful to meet you wherever you find yourself today.