Simple Reminders of God's Love

I don’t know how you all feel, but summer feels like it is going by super-fast.  Beside summer going by quickly, it has felt different than I expected.  For me, this summer has been full of a wide range of emotions that I was not expecting.  I experienced unexpected trauma and grief.  I have experienced joy, excitement, and gratefulness.  I did not expect to have such a vast range of emotions.  Perhaps some of you have experienced the same?  

As I reflect on my emotions and the cause of each emotion, I find my heart feels heavy.  My heart breaks for folks who have lost loved ones
who were far too young to die.  Grief is interesting because it does not just go away after a few days, weeks, or years.  Grief changes over time, but will remind us that it is still there, often when we don’t expect it.  My heart rejoices with folks who are free to live their fullest life and be who God has called them to be.  It is so exciting to see the excitement of folks who are overjoyed with their future.  The excitement of graduation and heading off to college or the excitement of a job that is most enjoyable and loved deeply.    

When you come into my office, you will see a variety of trinkets on my desk.  Some trinkets are there just for fun, some are stress squishes to squeeze when needed, some are reminders of God’s love, and other things are there for me to give to folks in need of a kind word or positive message.  I have a bowl with three hearts and two marbles, the hearts say Strength, Blessed, and Grace and they are made of soap stone. The bowl with the hearts and the marbles reminds me that God loves me and God has Blessed me and God has endless Grace.  When I don’t feel like I have the strength I need, God will help me find the strength needed.  The two marbles were given to me after Pastor Joan’s funeral.  She would often jokingly say, “If you find a marble on the floor please pick it up it’s probably mine because I may have lost a few of my marbles.”  The two marbles remind me to laugh and enjoy those silly and simple moments of life.  And when people need a kind word or a reminder that they are loved you can find a bowl of positive statement trinkets on my desk.

No matter what we go through in life, God has and will continue to love us unconditionally.  And when we need it there are simple reminders that God loves us, even if it is just a small colorful clothespin or a bowl with hearts and marbles. 

Peace, 

Pastor Katrina Steingraeber