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May 11, 2009
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Nearby Treasures, by Kelly Breece
Could you be looking for something that is already right next to you?
On a beautiful May afternoon, my daughter and I decided to visit my
nearly 91 year old grandmother. She has lived in a retirement home for
quite some time now, and has done remarkably well. She still plays the
occasional card game with friends and shares meals with some of the
ladies. As time has gone by, however, she spends less time with others
and more time alone in her room. She assures us all that she really
doesn't mind. After all, she explained to me once, naps are good.
During our visits, I try to think of interesting things to talk about.
I get an update on my uncle and cousins who live out of state so she
can keep up with them. My daughter is learning to "speak up" when she's
telling Memaw all about her baby dolls and her friends because Memaw
can't hear well. We also look at a lot of pictures. We've looked at the
same photo albums over and over; I don't think she ever gets tired of
looking at images of her family and talking about each one as if it
were the first time we'd seen it.
As I was putting some pictures back on her antique secretary desk on
the other side of the room, I noticed the handmade notebook lying on
the table. It was the gift that my Mom had given her for her 90th
birthday. For a person who doesn't hear well, written words are
invaluable. Mom wanted my Grandmother to know just how much she had
touched all of our lives. Mom had asked my grandmother's close friends
and family to write a birthday wish for her. These best wishes were all
included in this wonderful notebook.
As we looked through this homemade treasure, she was reading every word
of every page. Then, about halfway through the book, she said, "I
haven't seen this in forever. I completely forgot about it."
Along with the birthday wishes, friends and family had fondly recalled
memories of life through the years with my Grandmother. Grandmother had
led a Brownie Troop in the fifties. She took cross-country trips and
traveled to Ireland. She had even appeared on television commercials at
the local TV station back in her younger days. Everyone mentioned the
amazing meals she prepared throughout the years. Grandmother had
touched so many lives, and in this notebook, people were given a chance
to share their thoughts and love. She was moved by what people said
about her.
Have you checked your tables lately?
As I watched her reading the book, I thought to myself, "Wow! This
amazing little treasure has been sitting on the table about two feet
away from where she sits every day and she didn't realize that it was
there. I wonder how many powerful reminders go unseen and not
experienced simply because I don't realize they are there."
What about you? Have you checked your tables lately? Has God placed
something in your life as a reminder of how much you're loved and
valued? Are you seeking validation that quite possibly has been there
all along, perhaps tucked under something much less significant?
The psalmist said:
"He knows us inside and out ... God's love ... is ever and always,
eternally present" (Psalm 103:14-17 MSG).
All we have to do is look for it.
---------
(c) 2009 Kelly Breece <KellyBreece@aol.com>. From the Morning Cup
<http://morning-cup.blogspot.com> Devotional, a weekly devotional
for Christian women.
RELATED LINKS:
* Gifts of the Heart
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200512/20051206_gifts.html
* The Empty Chair
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200111/20011115_chair.html
* The Old Home Place
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200403/20040309_homeplace.html
* Morning Cup
http://morning-cup.blogspot.com
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200905/20090511_nearby.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE: THE PATH TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH, by Richard J. Foster
Hailed by many as the best modern book on Christian spirituality,
"Celebration of Discipline" explores the "classic Disciplines," or
central spiritual practices, of the Christian faith.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?260
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
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ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
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