Shortly after my parents’ wedding, they opened their gifts and came across a set of four matching wooden rings. My father pulled them out of their packaging and began shuffling them around on the table, thinking they were a game. After trying awhile to figure out the “game,” my parents finally approached the person who gave them the gift to inquire about it. Upon hearing they thought it was a game, the individual laughed, explaining, “They are napkin rings!” Now, several years later, anytime my family sees napkin rings, this incident is remembered with much fondness.

            What objects bring a smile to your face? What items spark a positive memory for you? Maybe it’s your ID badge as the picture of yourself brings back the memory of when you first started serving here in the hospital. Or it could be the pen you are holding; for as you write out care plans for different patients, it is a gift that from a person who cared about you. The object might be a piece of jewelry you are wearing because it reminds you of a close relationship with whom you have beyond these walls.

            Various possessions in every person’s surroundings can serve as keys for us to further unlock their world. As the Lord examines and knows each of us, according to Psalm 139, may we further examine our surroundings in order to better know those with whom we are interacting.

            God, help each of us to slow down and take a moment to further understand the lives of others. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.