568. Does God Really Care That Much?

“I think I mentioned to you,” Stan began, “that an elderly widowed aunt of mine passed into eternity a few months ago.”

“You did,” I responded.  “And as I remember it, you are responsible for settling her estate.”

“That’s right,” Stan said.  “It’s my job to take care of all of the stuff she left behind.”

“How’s that going?” I asked.

“Slowly, very slowly,” Stan replied.  “Lots of stuff!”

Continuing, he added, “I’m making my way through her things, sorting them out, keeping some, giving some away, and all that.  Yesterday I was going through her old ‘hope chest’ that had a lot of things she obviously wanted to remember.”

“Find anything interesting?” I asked.

“I ran across something that touched my heart and gave me a vivid reminder of all that God has provided for each one of us.”

“What was that?” I asked.

“I found an old card her husband had given her for one of their wedding anniversaries,” Stan replied.  “There was no date on it so I don’t know how old it is, but it’s pretty old.”

Continuing, he said, “There are two separate things about that card that really stirred me.  First, when I took the card out of the envelope it still had the fragrance of a rose.”

“After all that time?” I asked.

“Yes,” Stan said.  “Amazing.  And it immediately reminded me of one of the things the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, the part about that I am to be the fragrance of Christ to everyone, both believers and nonbelievers.”

“The fragrance of Christ,” I repeated.  “Regardless of how long it has been since we first received that fragrance.”

“Exactly,” Stan said.  “For as long as I am in the ‘hope chest’ that is this side of eternity!” 

Continuing, he added, “And the second part that touched me was when I was reading on the back of the card what my uncle had written to his wife on their anniversary.”

“What did he write?” I asked.

“It wasn’t so much what he wrote,” Stan replied, “but what the card company had printed at the bottom of the card, their company motto, tagline, or whatever it’s called.”

“Which was what?” I asked.

“When you care enough to send the very best.”

Continuing, Stan added,  “I’m not sure that the card company still uses those same words at the bottom of its cards, but it sure did remind me that God sent His very best when He sent His Son into the world to save all who believe.”

“Great reminder,” I responded.

“And,” Stan concluded, “those kind of reminders are everywhere if I will just take the time to look and be reminded.  However, before I can be reminded, I have to have the knowledge about which I’m to be reminded.  I can’t be reminded about something I don’t know!  And I know beyond any doubt that God really does care that much!”

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But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life.  2 Corinthians 2:14, 15.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for the reminders of who I am and why, if I will just look.  Thank you, too, for showing me the truth that I can’t be reminded of something if I don’t know it in the first place.  I confess that too often I fail to see your reminders because I do not want to be reminded or, on the other hand, there is nothing in me to spark that reminder.  Please forgive me.  And please, Father, help me in following every step of your lead so that, in the first instance, I know you well enough so that you can remind me.  Secondly, please help me in following your reminders with action that is in accordance with your will.  Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Think on this:  There are reminders everywhere of what God has done and what He wants to do in and through each one of us.  The problem usually is that we don’t look (or we don’t know where to look) for those reminders.  What does it look like for you to be reminded of all God has done for you already?  What about what He wants to do in and through you for the rest of the time you have on this side of eternity?  You can’t be reminded of something you don’t know.  How are you going to know anything about God well enough for Him to remind you?