REMINDERS

I love my i-phone for so many reasons, but one of the best is the feature that allows me to keep reminders handy via my calendar. I can program it so that little alarms go off to remind me of an event or an item on my "to-do" list.

There are also notification systems on several of the social media sites that I use that remind me of the birthdays of family and friends so I don't forget the important people in my life. These notification systems also let me know immediately when I have a message or a call. With i-phone in hand I can feel connected 24-7!

At work there is a feature on our email system that my boss uses to remind me of a meeting or other important notification. There is a little alarm that goes off on my office computer and then a box appears that tells me what I need to know and also lets me know how I need to respond.

 In a fast paced, hectic, 21st century world these little reminder applications are invaluable! However, my favorite "reminders" are found in God's word. I love to read that Jesus loves me.

Here are a few of the precious reminders He has given us:


John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 8:37-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved ...
Romans 5:8 - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

These verses, and many others, are awesome reminders of our great God's great love for us; however,

I am excited to share with you a little reminder system that I believe God gave me a few months ago.  Here is how it came about:

I was dealing with some difficult problems with a group of people slandering me and behaving rudely towards me. It wasn't an easy time because I feel strongly that gossip is a sin, so to "report" these people would mean I'd have to tell stories about them to others to tell "my side" which somehow seemed like participating in the gossip.  I refused to do that. Therefore, I just had to endure the stories going around about me. I felt led to trust God to handle them. I strongly believe that HIS reputation is far more important than mine. My job was to keep faith, trust that God always has my best interest at heart, pray and believe that He has solutions to problems such as these that I cannot begin to imagine. I had to believe that my God was bigger than my problems, my circumstances and whatever these folks decided to say about me. 

I also had to believe that none of what was going on was really about ME. It was about God orchestrating events to work out His purposes in me and in the others involved in the situation. If I believe He is in control and He loves me I have to have faith that His ways are not like my ways and  I won't always understand how He moves and works things out.  It was a time when I just had to say, "God, I trust you."

I dealt with this problem for over a year. Although I made a decision to lay my circumstances and my feelings at God's feet, I still struggled. I was still very hurt and almost fell into a deep depression over the situation.  I felt very disliked and very unloved by people. 

This is when, during one of my prayer times, God seemed to give me an idea. I felt like He wanted me to know and be REMINDED at a moment's notice that He loves me, He cares about my situation and He is always working things out for my good.  I asked Him if we could make a little "pact". I told Him that every time I heard a bird sing or children singing that I would like to immediately remember that my heavenly Father SINGS over me because he loves me so much. Just like I sang to my son when he was a child, my heavenly Father SINGS over me. 

Zephaniah 3:17 - The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

We made the "deal". It was no big earth shattering thing, we just agreed together that these things would be my reminders during the midst of a hectic day, or a difficult time. When I heard a bird sing or children singing I would be reminded that I am fully and completely loved and accepted by my heavenly Father. It doesn't matter what others say, His love for me is true and undeniable and unending.

I can't begin to tell you all of the interesting times that I have heard birds singing since then. One time it was after a sleepless night when I spent several hours crying and praying about the above mentioned situation. I finally fell asleep about 4:30 in the morning and when I woke up at 6:30AM...what did I hear outside my window? Birds were singing! It was as if God had tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Pam, wake up, it is a new day! Dry your tears. I hear your cries and I care. I love you. Trust me." Birds singing had never sounded so beautiful to me. Since our little "pact", this has happened over and over just when I needed that extra reminder.

I've never really heard of anyone doing something like this before. I just feel like it was a wonderful gift my sweet heavenly Father gave me during a very hard time. I wanted to tell you, my blog readers,  about it so that maybe you can pray and ask Him what might be a good reminder for you! We all experience trials and difficulties and sometimes you are at work, or in a situation when you can't whip out your Bible and read it. You might recite vereses for memory in your mind, but that audible reminder has been a precious, special blessing to me. 

Also, since my day job is teaching children music,  I hear children singing regularly. Since our little "pact" I can't hear them sing a note without remembering I am loved dearly by my heavenly Father. You know what?

So are you.

Soli Deo Gloria

PAM BURCHILL