Creating Holy Reminders | UMC YoungPeople
Connecting young people and their adult leaders to God, the church, and the world
12
March 2018

Creating Holy Reminders

By Rebekah Bled

Just as God sent Jeremiah to remind the Israelites who they were in exile, he sends reminders to us of his love, faithfulness and promise during our ordinary days at school and home. It’s helpful for us to set our own signals to look for God’s promises and reminders.

One thing people did before cell phones was to tie a string around their finger to help them remember something. When they saw the string on their finger, it would act as a hint that there was something important for them to pay attention to.

When I was a little girl, a babysitter of mine said she decided every time she saw a ladybug, she would remember God. I was inspired by that idea, and used that as a reminder for myself as well. I decided to make my own reminder of God’s goodness. For years now, every time I hear a train whistle, no matter where I am, I remember that God is faithful.

What about you? What hints are you setting as mental “strings around your fingers” to remind you to look for evidence of hope and God’s promises?

As a reflection, ask students to choose something that they encounter in their daily life to remind them of God’s promises. Have them make a note on their phone, write it on their hand, or set another reminder to help them form the habit this week. Don’t forget to ask for God sightings next week!

Rebekah Bled has served in missions with YWAM in Central America and Europe, as a Youth Minister in South America, and now as the College and Young Adult Minister at First United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rebekah is a graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University and an Intercultural Studies and Church Planting student at Asbury Theological Seminary. She is married to her soulmate, Philippe. Rebekah likes telling stories, collecting magnets at airports, and empowering the agency of teenagers and young adults.