1 Peter 3:18
Christ died once for our sins.
An innocent person died
for those who are guilty.
Christ did this
to bring you to God,
when his body
was put to death
and his spirit
was made alive.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a “Mayberry-esque” community where the streets were literally safe enough to play in, and pretty well everyone knew everybody else. I interacted with all four of my grandparents on an almost-daily basis. I knew many of their friends well, and our neighbors were like extended family.
As the years have come and gone, many of these dear ones have passed away. Often, there has been an estate sale or auction to liquidate their belongings. While some might find this sad or morbid, I have attended many of these sales and purchased at least one item that could hold special meaning for me. So I have nativities and Madonna figurines that once graced the shelves of people I knew and loved. I serve my cakes and cookies on beautiful glass trays once were used by ladies who nurtured me as a youngster to serve refreshments to their guests and loved ones. I have two “prayer books” that belonged to a dear local optometrist who sat on the pew in front of us at church for over a decade.
I know these are just “things”…but every time I look at them, I am reminded of the person to whom they once belonged. In this manner, I carry their spirit in my heart. This past Christmas, a stranger stopped me in the checkout line at Wal-Mart to admire a pin I was wearing on my coat. It had belonged to my Mam-ma Polly. For a brief moment, my grandmother was with me…I felt her presence and the warmth of her beautiful smile. She loved her pretty pins, and I could almost hear HER acknowledging the compliment as I uttered a polite “Thank you!”
My point is that people often wonder where God is. Because God is not physically visible…because we cannot tangibly see or hear Him…many have a hard time feeling His presence. But we are told in this verse from 1 Peter that when Jesus died in the flesh, His spirit was made alive…and He is very much with us in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Every time we see certain things or hear particular words…every time we read our Bible or sit and marvel at the intricacies of our children or a beautiful animal or plant, we are reminded of Him.
When we are saved from that distracted person who ran the red light and almost t-boned us at an intersection, we feel the presence of Jesus. When we review a set of circumstances and events and can find no reasonable explanation for how or why they worked out so well, we can know that He was guiding each step of these incidents.
I treasure the reminders of those I knew and loved who are no longer physically present on this earth. But even more, I cherish the daily reminders of Jesus – His amazing, incomprehensible love and care for me. And I thank Him for the presence of His spirit and how He is so very alive and well within my heart. Do you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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