“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God.’” Numbers 15: 37-38, 40 NLT

I remember my father at the aluminum kitchen table every morning.  He always sat at the end of the table facing the kitchen door with the refrigerator to his right.  His large white mug of steaming black coffee rested on the table in front of him.

I still have that white mug.  The ceramic coating has fine cracks.  There is a brown permanent stain on the inside near the bottom.  It now sits now in the corner cupboard on the bottom shelf at the back.  My father has been dead for over forty years.  I’ve moved ten times since.  Every move, I think, “I should throw that cup away.”  But, I can’t bring myself to do it.

It’s interesting how an object can represent so much – stability, daily habits and simple pleasures.  It evokes many images.  Dad, with his thick pewter ring on the fourth finger of his right hand tapping rhythmically on the table sounding like Morse Code.  Dad, listening to a funny story, throwing his head back, mouth wide open, laughing, full of life.  Dad, circling the cup with his hands looking across the table at me asking thoughtful questions about what I was learning in school.

A cheap white ceramic mug made in china – so many memories.

God has created us to find meaning in ordinary things. Simple things in scripture overflow with deep meaning, so we can remember him. Symbols like bread, water, manna, rainbow, and fire are just a few. The blue cord tassels on the hems of clothing mentioned in our verse is a powerful example teaching us to remember his commands and live in holiness. 

God, teach us to remember you through the ordinary symbols you make pregnant with meaning. 

What symbols in your life help you to remember spiritual things?