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Oct 19, 2023 06:00am

Memories

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“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.”
Psalm 143:5b (ESV)

I’ve heard it said that good times become good memories and bad times become good lessons. I think the honesty we mine from each is pure gold. Maybe it’s in this current season of life for me, but I’m finding I need to “sit” with a few memories and allow them to speak without interruption. Since I’m not confident in their length of stay, I’m choosing to see their return visits as teachable and possibly divine…perspective usually is!

No doubt, moments need to be cherished before they become memories. That’s where intentionality is crucial. It’s easier to be fully present when we aren’t focused on getting it digitally recorded. Are we too eager for the projection to others? Short answer – yes! Have you enjoyed a big moment lately that you didn’t record, but savored solely with the audience in attendance? If we have to “stage” moments for validation, we lose the organic authenticity. It presents more like a cry from the toddler jumping off the diving board for the first or fifteenth time. And what does that truly say about us? Look over HERE! Access should be a sacred guarding of intimacy, not a casual offering validated (or not) from faceless screen commentators.

I get it. Not everything is meant to be a forever kind of thing. Lovely hellos and heartbreaking goodbyes threaded with love can feed our souls and grow relationships whether it’s a season or a decade. Memories, painful and rewarding, can both teach us well in how we duplicate or delete patterns in our legacy.

A quick internet search indicates at least 71 scriptures having to do with “remembering.” As long as we remember rightly, we might come upon some patterns worth keeping. Jesus created moments. I doubt that any encounter with Jesus left anyone confused as to His perfect ability to be present. Being a Christ-follower guarantees you many moments of sharing your faith journey with others. Be deliberate. Intertwine your lives and moments with uncropped scenes of pure delight and sacred access. Expect messy conversations, difficult personalities, or demanding schedules to derail you; but make moments that age into memories a priority anyway. Jesus did. What do you remember about the day you gave your life to Christ? Where do your memories take you? Can you come up with any memories of His steadfastness, grace, mercy, and forgiveness when you were in need? Countless.

Relationships can end for no apparent reasons, yet memories can transport us to the best of times, or humorously some of the more comical episodes of togetherness. Memories can reinforce what actually matters across time, space, and influence. It is in those intimate shared exchanges of memory-making that people become family, couples become companions, and kids collect the wisdom of extended family old and young.

Allow God to fill your heart with the priceless memories to cherish for the ages with Him.