The Charm Bracelet

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I was rummaging through some things that have been laying around the house for awhile and I came across my old charm bracelet.  I don’t really remember when I wore it last, but it is probably safe to say it was at least 45 years ago!
Looking through the charms it occurred to me that the things I liked then, I still like today.

On my charm bracelet, among other things, was a horse, a piano and a typewriter.  All things I definitely associated with back then, and still do today.

It made me think back to about 15 years ago when I started an *online retreat. 

Near the beginning of the retreat, I was supposed to write out sort of a history of my past.  As I started the retreat, I thought, “I don’t need to do this part; I know my past really well.”  No surprise, I figured I could jump to the next step.

But, wisdom took hold and I decided I would bother to write down what it asked me to.  Boy was I surprised!

It wasn’t that anything knew came out of the information I recalled, but the bridge it created between my past memories and the presence of God at the time, really stood out.

Everywhere I looked I could see the hand of God.  I had seen bits and pieces of his presence, but never before had they been so closely linked together.  It was clear that even when I didn’t know God was present, he was definitely guiding me.

Like the charms on my bracelet linking my present to my past, the retreat process connected circumstances in my life to God.

That was a big moment for me because what came next was the greater realization that God—who was present in those life circumstances—has never left!  He continues to be with me in the moment today, even if I am unaware.

Suffice it to say that we are truly blessed by the presence of God working in our lives, every day, without fail, even when we move along as if we are on our own.

Janet Cassidy
Janetcassidy.blogspot.com
Janetcassidy.blubrry.net
johnseven38@yahoo.com 

*Onlineministries-creighton

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