The Blessings That Stick

There are some things in life that simply refuse to let go.

I was thinking about that recently as I wandered through the woods behind our house on a beautiful autumn afternoon. I wasn’t looking for anything profound. I was simply searching for a few fallen limbs to use in a craft project. The leaves were showing off in all their autumn glory, and the familiar crunch beneath my feet took me back to childhood.

As a little girl, I loved the woods. I could spend hours wandering beneath the trees, imagining that every tree had a story to tell and every rock was a treasure waiting to be discovered. Nature fascinated me. I loved the plants, the birds, the wildlife, and all the little surprises I might find along the way. And I rarely came home empty-handed.

Sometimes I carried home a pretty feather, a handful of acorns, an unusual rock, or a few wildflowers. Those little treasures found their way into my room, where I could admire them long after my walk was over. But there were other treasures I never intended to bring home.

Tiny green and brown things would attach themselves to my socks and pants and hitch a ride right back to the house with me. Mama called them beggar’s lice. They were nature’s way of making sure I didn’t leave the woods without taking something with me. I had all but forgotten about those little hitchhikers until my recent walk.

After about fifteen minutes of gathering fallen limbs, I headed back inside feeling quite pleased with my collection. But before I opened the door, I happened to look down. There they were. Beggar’s lice.

My old companions had returned, clinging to my socks and pant legs as though they had been waiting all these years for another opportunity to follow me home. I had to laugh. But as I stood there picking them off one by one, I began thinking about how much those little hitchhikers reminded me of something far more precious.

Some blessings in life are meant to stick.

Scripture says, “A friend loveth at all times.” Proverbs 17:17. And Proverbs 18:24 reminds us that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I have been blessed with people like that.

They are the friends who don’t disappear when life becomes difficult. They check on you when they sense something is wrong. They answer the phone. They remember the little things. They pray when you need prayer and show up when you need someone beside you. They don’t have to be asked to care because caring is simply part of who they are. They stick.

And in a world where people can drift in and out of our lives so easily, there is something incredibly precious about someone who chooses to stay.

Isn’t that one of the beautiful things about friendship? Family may be connected to us by blood, but a true friend chooses to remain connected by love. They have no obligation to stay, yet they do. That kind of friendship is a gift from God.

And perhaps that is why I like the picture of those little beggar’s lice more than I ever thought I would. They remind me that some things are meant to cling. Some things are meant to follow us home. Some things are meant to remain attached to our lives. God’s love is one of those things.

Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. His love doesn’t loosen its grip when we stumble. It doesn’t fall away when we wander. It doesn’t disappear when life becomes messy. It sticks. His grace sticks. His mercy sticks. His promises stick.

And sometimes, if we are paying attention, He sends people into our lives whose love becomes a tangible reminder of His own. So maybe I’ll look at beggar’s lice a little differently from now on.

I’ll still probably reach for the lint roller when I get back from the woods. But the next time those little green and brown hitchhikers cling to my clothes, I may smile before I pull them off. They will remind me to be grateful for the things in life that refuse to let go. For the friend who keeps calling. For the person who keeps praying. For the family member who keeps showing up. For the people God has placed in my life who have chosen to stick around through the changing seasons. And most of all, for a Savior whose love holds on when I cannot hold on myself.

Life changes. Seasons change. People move. Circumstances shift. Years pass much faster than we ever imagined they would. But there are some things that remain. The love of God. The grace of Jesus. The promises of Scripture.

And those precious people He sends along the way who somehow manage to stick to our hearts. Those are the blessings I never want to take for granted. 

So today, Lord, thank You for the things that stick. Thank You for the people who love me enough to stay, for the friends who check in, for the hands that reach out, and for the hearts that refuse to let go. And thank You most of all that when everything else in this world feels uncertain, Your love remains firmly attached to me.

Like those little beggar’s lice clinging to my socks, may I carry Your love with me wherever I go, and may I never forget what a blessing it is to have something so precious that simply refuses to let go. And next time I go walking through the woods, I’ll probably take a lint roller with me. But if a few little hitchhikers decide to tag along, I think I’ll just smile and remember…Some blessings are meant to stick.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the simple reminders You place along our path. Thank You for the people You bring into our lives who love us, encourage us, pray for us, and stay beside us through every season. Help me never to take those relationships for granted.

Thank You for being the Friend who never leaves, never abandons, and never lets go. When life changes and circumstances are uncertain, remind me that Your love is still holding me close. Help me to be that kind of friend to others, someone who stays, someone who encourages, and someone who points others back to You.

Thank You for Your grace that sticks, Your mercy that follows me, and Your love that will never let me go.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.