Reminders

Most people I know dislike reminders.  It is probably more accurate to say they hate them, but it is hard to be precise when labeling another’s motives and intent.  When I think of reminders, frequently the first things that come to mind are alarm clocks, appointment books, project plans, to do lists, and all forms of nagging.  I know I need these kinds of reminders, but it does not make me like them.  In fact, the more I need the reminders, the less I find myself naturally liking the way they intrude on my sleep, procrastination, or leisure activities. 
 
It is easy to find the self caught up in negative reminders, but they are not the only kind.  There are reminders that reinforce thankfulness, expand on appreciation, and emphasize success.  They are wonderful in their own way.  Even when I find myself dismissing them, I know my heart changes in the truthfulness found in their reality.  When you or I do good things, we are different because of the action.  As you or I consider giving of ourselves without need for compensation, we ever so slightly become a new person.  When we give birth to compassion, love, or mercy, our memories and life frame, we alter who and what we are from that point forward.  Reminders are reinforcements given by others that bind these actions to our souls!  This is a miraculous God given process. 
 
The process never ends with just our lives and the relationships that bind us.  It extends right on to and through our relationship with Divinity.  If you want to know Hope, take the time to give God the full range of the reminders due Divinity.  Put everything on the line.  Get your views on the table.  Make sure your remind God of wants, needs, and hopes.  Remember to include the good memories.  Candidly, I believe God loves them all. 
 
“Wake up, wake up, flex your muscles, God!  Wake up as in the old days, in the long ago.  Didn't you once make mincemeat of Rahab, dispatch the old chaos-dragon?”  (Isaiah 51.9)