I have a plastic bin of memorabilia from junior high and high school. I only open it every few years. But when I do, the moment my hand touches the items I’ve saved, I am back there. The people, the faces, the school dances, the tears, the everything.

We are wired to need physical reminders, things that immediately move our minds where they need to go. The sticky note to buy milk. The to-do list that includes making that appointment. The photos of our kids when they’re in the adorable chubby stage.

It’s okay to need physical reminders of God’s love for us, of the power of his Word. Just like a memento can take us crashing back to high school, so can a physical object send us back to God, the source of hope.