By Ann Farabee

Walking by those words once again, I noticed how dusty that plaque had gotten. I found a tissue, and gave it a quick swipe to move the dust around a bit. The words on it read: Set your mind on things above.

Words fitly spoken from a plaque on a shelf that I pass by in my home about 50 times a day – and rarely notice.

Maybe – just maybe – this time was a reminder – to set my mind on things above.

The words were familiar – I guessed maybe from Colossians 3:23. Grabbing my Bible, I sneaked outside to the rocking chair on my front porch for a few minutes alone.

As soon as I sat down and saw all the beauty of nature around me, Psalm 46:10 began to well up in my heart. So, I did what it says: I was still. Then I knew – that He was God. The longer I was still – the more I knew.

Sitting still in that moment, I was at a place of rest in the Lord – the kind of rest that comes without even taking a nap.

A few minutes later, I turned to Colossians 3:23, with the expectation of finding the words, ‘Set your mind on things above.’ I smiled when the words in that verse, however, informed me that whatever I did, I needed to do heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

Heartily. I did not even bother to look that word up, for no definition could be better than the one God had put in my spirit, which was, ‘with my whole heart.’

So, the words on the plaque were not from Colossians 3:23, but that verse sure felt timely.

With my Bible on my lap, I spent the next few minutes dwelling on the quietness of the Spirit of God pouring into my heart, giving me a peaceful respite during a time that had recently been far from peaceful.

Remembering my to-do list, I picked up my open Bible, and prepared to head back inside. As I did, a little breeze blew, and turned it back one page. There it was – calling out to me from Colossians 3:2, ‘Set your mind on things above.’

Some may call that a coincidence. I call it a God-incidence.

God’s Presence in our world.

God’s Presence in His Word.

God’s Presence in our hearts.

God gave His best for us. We should give our best for Him.

Lord, may we become more aware of Your Presence. Help us set our minds on things above. Amen

Ready? Get set.

Ann is a speaker and teacher. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com