Christmas was two days away and I still had a few things to pick up or so I thought. I headed to Scott’s Parables hoping to find inspiration. I was shopping around looking at the picked-over shelves wondering what on earth made me think there would be anything left on December 23. That’s when it happened. As I was shopping - well really it was aimless roaming - I noticed a familiar friend sitting by the front door of the store. She was busy on her phone but made eye contact with me and motioned me over. She was excited to see me and immediately asked me to join her for a tea.
I had told my family I would be only 30 minutes or so and almost hesitated, but she walked with such determination to the café that I followed. I sat, she ordered her tea and then told me she had something for me in her car. Now what you should know is that I haven’t seen this person in three years so I was a little surprised that she had something for me since our meeting each other was so random.
She came back in with a sheet of paper but before she showed it to me she explained that she had been out running Christmas errands and felt a sense that she should make Parables her next stop. She said she didn’t understand that feeling because the other store she needed to go to was closer on her route than Parables. She told me she has learned to just obey the Holy Spirit when He prompts her, so she travelled to Parables and sat at the front door waiting for the Spirit to reveal what He wanted her to do, when she saw me.
She showed me the paper and continued to explain that a few weeks ago during the night she was awakened and could not sleep until she typed out what God was putting on her heart. She asked Him how many to print and she obeyed. Then she prayed that He would show her who to give them to. She had printed out twelve and I received the last one. I sat very quiet and speechless as I read what was on the sheet. I couldn’t believe how I was experiencing the Holy Spirit. It was surreal. At one point I wanted to look for a hidden camera. Everything on this paper was what I had been challenged with or trying to work through over the past few months. Everything that I had made complicated the Holy Spirit had made very simple and she had no idea what those personal thoughts and conversations I had been having with God were about.
What was on the paper... one word... REFRESH…broken-down with a meaning to every letter.
Renew your mind
East of My Word
Focus on Me
Rest in my Presence
Enter My gates with thanksgiving
Share hope
Hear My still, quiet voice
What a message to receive right before the birthday celebration of our Saviour. Now I have a banner to wave over the next year and a reminder of things that are most important. I have printed this word out and put it on my bathroom mirror, the fridge, in my Bible, and in my journal. I pray that every time I see them they remind me to stop and renew my mind. It’s funny but this one word will hold me accountable to myself and to God. I want to eat of His word every day. I don’t want to attempt another day spiritually starved. I want my focus to always be on Jesus and how I long to rest in His Presence. It reminds me to be thankful and to look for ways to share the hope He gives to all of us. Lastly it reminds me of the one thing I find so difficult - hear my still, quiet voice. You see, I have to slow down and be still in order to hear Him.
The most important message I saw in this acronym was that God wants a relationship with me. Nothing here talks about how much I know but it’s about the time I spend with Him. He’s not asking me for hours out of my day…at least not yet…but He wants the first and last thoughts I have to be with Him. He has REFRESHed me and I pray this month He will REFRESH you as well.
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