August 29

I took a little walk through history last night. I went back to the county I grew up in to help with my niece's bridal shower, held in an old train station. The entire time I live there, I never noticed it; I even worked across the street from it for a while. They redid it and made it into an event center, exposing all the old brick, polished the floors, and installed a kitchen. One of the fixtures brought back a flood of memories; it was the counter from an old drugstore that had, at one time, served ice cream. It still had all the soda fountain handles that I remember seeing as a child. When you hear some of those country songs talking about “my hometown,” you get the picture of this little blip on the road map.

My niece and I are both city girls born in the country. She had to travel home for her shower, only from a greater distance than me. It’s funny, though, for as long as I lived in the city, I still long for a country atmosphere. I think I love having the convenience of everything I need within minutes. I found out about Jesus and my quaint country town, and that’s something I can never forget. But, Jesus sent me off to teach me some new things and set me on the path he intended, and I am forever grateful for that. Even if you don’t have fond memories from your past, look again to see how Jesus purposely directed you to where you are now. There is always something good to look back on.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11