Life is filled with different stages or seasons. For me, this one is called cleaning. From moving out of the dorm—shout out to the many schools I didn’t choose that don’t have a “white glove” check—back into out house, then to another room of the house, I’ve done quite a bit of cleaning, and I love it. Cleaning reveals a lot of who one is, or, more accurately, who one once was. When one cleans, he find things: the messes of his past.
You find things that were important to you, yet you allowed them to go unsought of for weeks or months or years.
Last week I found two distinct items, my first prayer journal, and my letter box.
Oh my word. Praise the Lord for the work He has done in my life!! Reading through that journal was hilariously painful. To reread what I thought was important so many years ago or the things I struggled with was so interesting. It felt like I was reading someone else’s life. There were difficulties completely forgot about, some things I was happy to have forgotten. All in all, it made me so thankful for God’s work in my life haha. It was a good reminder to do as Paul wrote, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” Romans 12:2. The Lord is phenomenally faithful! He has done so many astounding things in my life that I forgot what our relationship was like in the beginning. Reading that journal made me realize that he has brought so much restoration and healing to this broken, wretched soul. Not by anything that I did, but because of His sweet grace (see Ephesians 2). When I started that book in 8th grade, I never would have imagined all that God would do and is continuing to do in my life.
And then I found my letter box! I love reading and writing, and I have kept every note/card/letter that anyone has written me. I love them! My letter box is 1-foot-tall, about 2-feet-long, and what I didn’t remember is the fact that the box is completely filled with letters! When I moved for college I started a new box and didn’t open this old one for a couple years. I expected the box to be halfway filled, but to my surprise it was entirely full.
God graciously places people in our lives to encourage and teach us numerous things. Psalm 31:7 says “I will rejoice and be glad in Your steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the distress of my soul.” By his love and “His divine power [He] has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,” I Peter 1:3a, and that includes the people He has placed in our lives. Each relationship we encounter is an opportunity to bring God glory! These notes and letters were given from some friends that were only in my life for a season and other friends who continue to keep in touch. I am so grateful for the people He has allowed to enter my life; their impact on me can stretch farther than I even realize.
The second part of I Peter 1:3 asserts that we discern life and godliness “through the knowledge of Him who called us to His glory and excellence,” how extraordinary is our God not only to give us these small reminders and revelations, but 66 books to reveal His glory! Shane and Shane wrote a song about Psalm 98 and one lyric reads “What they know by faith, we know by name; Jesus is King.” We get to study the entire Bible! It is far better and its value is vast beyond my boxes of letters. God gave us a collection of thousands of pages of letters!
Seek out what the Lord is doing in your life and look for ways He uses others to impact you! Cherish those around you. They’ll know us by their love (John 13:36). We have opportunity to share who He is each day! His love never ends and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). How wonderful and freeing that is to hear!
Before I headed back to school last August, I wrote myself a note on my dry-erase calendar reading “enjoy the time you get, because time is running out.” Now, that note reminds me that we do not know how long people will be in our lives, and we cannot imagine what God will do though these sweet relationships.
These little reminders proved to be timed splendidly when our college pastor, Tim, and his wife Meghan announced that they will be moving soon. Saying goodbye is hard; my mom says that we aren’t meant to do it, for we are eternal beings. But the most beautiful part about this goodbye is knowing that the Lord will be glorified through Tim and Meghan wherever they go. And He has called them to go spread His glory! What a glorious goodbye.
Be open to how the Lord is using others to change you, and give love as Christ has. Our Heavenly Father desires greatness—sanctification—in our lives, and He uses people in our lives to bring it about. Some to encourage us and to be the church, striving towards Christ with us, and some to teach us to rely on Him.
For Further Reading:
Titus 3:4-7
Psalm 31
John 15:12-15
II Corinthians 13:11
Psalm 143:5-6
Proverb 27:17
Psalm 90:12
Exposed 