We are a community of eternal beings, confined to an aging body and are called, “Mankind”. We are on a journey called life and we are taking this journey together.
This life can be difficult. Between the truly devastating events of our lives and the daily grind that wears us down little by little, we face an assault that can erode our faith, peace, love, kindness, understanding, patience and forgiveness.
There is a Bigger Picture
Everyone needs encouragement to remember there is a bigger picture. If we step back and look at that bigger picture it will help put the world around us into perspective and allow our feet to stand on the solid ground of hope.
I don’t have all of the answers for why each person struggles and suffers and I am not a psychologist or a counselor, but I do have words of encouragement that will help you remember you were made for something greater.
I love stories. The circumstances of our lives are the fuel for the stories of our lives. More simply, what happens to you and how you respond is what paints the story of your life. Many of those stories are of faith, healing, restoration, forgiveness and redemption and they are beautiful. God loves to see those stories unfold as the years of our lives take us on this journey. Those stories also help your fellow eternal beings understand they are not alone in their trials, tribulations and joys.
Little Nuances in Our Day
What really fascinates me are the micro stories. These are little nuances in our day that can be seen from time to time if we are paying attention. It takes practice to recognize them, then it takes believing to understand they are from God. They are small testimonies that Jesus Christ loves you and is actively involved in your life. Learning to understand what micro stories are and how to see them is one aspect of this blog.
I will share one of my own micro stories. It has to do with the name of my blog “Vale Removed”.
Vale Removed may seem like an obscure name at first. Why not use the word, Veil, as in a transparent covering used to put over one’s face? That’s a good question and the root of my story.
When I first began writing, my goal was to start a podcast. My son, Andy, who has a successful podcast, gave me a lot of pointers. He helped me understand things like conception, planning and execution. Among those tips I was to make a list of names that would reflect the content of my podcast. Andy wanted me to find a name that I could use for all of my platforms in social media as well as my website. Having one name would make it easier for people to find me on each platform. Over time I decided that a blog better suited my path so I altered my work.
I made a list of over 20 possible names. On 3-12-20, as I was about to start researching those names to see if they were available, I spoke with Andy and he encouraged me that if my name was taken, I could change the spelling of the name to fill my niche. I said OK and made a mental note, just in case.
The next day was Friday the 13th. I was supposed to be working early that morning, but because a fellow employee needed help, I switched with him and worked the late shift, which gave me the whole morning to research names. My list of names was far too short I realized as I crossed each one off quickly. In no time I had exhausted my list and wondered, what next? I decided to go to my notes and look for inspiration there.
A Life-Changing Year
The previous year had been a significant and life-changing year for me. I made many entries into a journal of my thoughts and observations hoping I could understand where the Lord was directing my heart. I trusted that in time, my notes would allow me to look back and find a common theme that could point the way forward confidently.
I scrolled to the top of my entries and began reading through each one. Most entries were brief and I moved through them easily. I had hardly begun when I saw a line jump out at me. It began, “The veil is being removed.” I reflected on the passage and came up with Veil Removed. It fit perfectly. My hope for the blog was to encourage people to look past what they know about their daily lives and see something more. I checked the name and was discouraged to find it was not available either!
I got angry for a moment. Why was this so hard? How could so many of my names be taken? Then I remembered Andy’s advice to change the spelling. I decided to change the word Veil, to Vale, even if the word meant nothing. I checked the name and discovered it WAS available. I thought, of course the name was available, it meant nothing so who would use it? Then, I looked up the word, Vale, to see if it meant something just in case and was surprised to find that it did mean something. It means; a valley, the world, or mortal or earthly life.
I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to help people look past their earthly life and find an eternal perspective. Vale Removed summed that up perfectly. My path had led me to the right word.
We Are Eternal Beings
I decided to read the whole entry. At 2 paragraphs, it was one of the longest entries I had made. The first paragraph turned out to be what has been on my heart for the past year. There are 3 core points.
- We are Eternal Beings made in the image of God.
- The Lord’s Harvest and gathering His children is what matters.
- You are God’s children.
The second paragraph reflected the deep conversation of my heart that had gripped me for over a year. It said, “We will live forever, but we will be held accountable for neglecting others because we are clinging to the comfort and security of our own lives.” This paragraph confirmed what God and my son had been encouraging me to do; get out of my comfort zone and get busy.
I had spent a lifetime building a career, taking care of my family and finding ways to make myself more comfortable. It is our nature to want comfort but I for one can take it too far. Those words along with Andy’s encouragement and God’s moving in my heart, were a dictate to me to start serving others. I just didn’t know how I could help anyone.
I work in retail, so my schedule changes every week and too often, leaves me scrounging for time. I was like a beggar, asking for moments here and there. It was God, working through Andy, who gave me the key to move forward.
Find That One Thing
Andy had been encouraging me to find that one thing in life that was important to me and to change my habits just a little so that in time, I would accomplish something instead of nothing. He said, even writing a few words a day would amount to a book over time. He taught me to create a morning routine and showed me how that routine would make me successful in my endeavor. He was right. I found what I was looking for.
Both paragraphs summed up the reason I was on this course in my life, but it was the date of the entry that really spoke to me. I wrote my original entry on 3-21-19. I realized, if you switched the 21, it becomes 12 and it was on 3-12-20 that my son had encouraged me to switch the spelling of a name if that name was taken. By taking my son’s advice on 3-12-20, switching the 12, I found what I was looking for on 3-21-19.
Some would call this a coincidence. Others refuse to believe it means anything. I believe it is God showing me that He cares about what I am doing. God doesn’t always speak to us audibly. But, like the beauty in the world around us, God has left testimonies, big and small, for us to see and remember that He has created everything and that He is with us every single day. We are never alone or separated from Him, even on the worst days of our lives.
Through others and the circumstances of my own life, God has brought me here to share my heart with you.
I will leave you with this week’s encouragement. Of all of the stars in the Universe that are beyond counting and all of the days of our existence to the beginning of time, there is no one like you. You are unique, you are special and you are loved deeply by the God who created you. It is not about what you do. It is about who you are. There is a reason you are called a human being.
Vale Removed is a blog that looks beyond this life to the next. Join me each week as we examine the world from an eternal perspective and find words of encouragement to remind us that we are meant for something more.
