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The power of remembering

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With the annual Thanksgiving holiday soon upon us, many are making preparations for reunions with friends and family. No one will go away from the table hungry and everyone will join in on telling stories from former days. A young staff at the hospital shared with me how excited she was to see her grandmother. We talked about the value of capturing her stories on paper or video recording.

 

Why do you think remembering is so important?

 

We remember to learn from past mistakes so we can avoid making them again. We share memories with children and grandchildren to give them perspective that may help them in their own lives. We also recall memories to help us gain perspective and appreciation in our own lives. Whenever I recall how loving my grandmother was it spurs me on to be more loving. When we face a problem that seems insurmountable or unending, memories of getting through former struggles helps us see our problems in view of a larger picture. I was frustrated today because my walking was not as good as the previous two days. More pain. Less gain.  Marcia reminded me of how much progress I’ve made in one month. I had forgotten and needed reminding so I could find needed encouragement.

 

I appreciated seeing a memory display box in a friend’s house that contained scraps of things from their past. Each item was a remembrance of a time when God answered prayer. I wonder how each of our lives would be positively impacted if we would take time each day to remember God’s goodness and faithfulness. The devil doesn’t have to get you to hate God. He succeeds if he keeps you so busy you forget God most of your day. Often in the Old Testament we read God’s reminder to us, “Remember I AM the Lord your God.”

 

I hope you take time often to remember. Let bad memories fly by except to take a lesson from them. Let good memories fill you with a special joy, renew your sense of hope, and speak to you about how you will carry and pass on that memory in your own life. And don’t forget that today is a day for making good memories. Find something to celebrate, however small, and capture that in your memory box to remind you of simple joys in times of trouble.

 

The power of remembering

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Our memories are odd things. Have you noticed how it is easier for you to remember some things than others? As you review your past , has it been selectively colored by the memories you’ve chosen over the ones you’ve ignored? Perhaps you’ve chosen to remember only the happy times, forgetting there were times of sorrow that also shaped you. Or maybe your past memory is so shadowed by a series of unfortunate events, you’ve quite forgotten the seasons of happiness you enjoyed. You may not be aware of it but your interpretation of today’s events are shaping your memories as they occur. The filter through which we sift our daily events and emotions shapes the way we will remember today and also affecting the way we step out into tomorrow.

 

We are reading a psalms devotional by Matthew Jacoby, founding member of the Aussie band Sons of Korah. The reading from Psalm 116:1-4 starts “I love The Lord because he has heard my appeal for mercy.” The psalmist talks about “the ropes of death” being wrapped around him and of being eventually freed from their torments. Jacoby’s message reminds me of the importance of remembering to be thankful even in the midst of pain. He writes:

 

“Beginning your time of prayer with thanksgiving will change your prayer life radically. Remember the prayers that God has answered in the past. Remember the times when you trusted God for a certain matter and God demonstrated His faithfulness in a way beyond what you had hoped. Remember the times when you were overcome by trouble and sorrow and God lifted you up. Meditate on these things, praise God for all these times and give heartfelt thanks to him. This will create a spring of faith and zeal within you from which prayer will naturally flow like a river.” M. Jacoby

 

‘Remembering’ has power to shine the light of hope into our dark sorrows. It draws us closer to God at the precise moment we feel distanced from him. Remembering his faithfulness and compassion that are renewed every morning fuels our faith. It pours balm on our wounds and lifts our eyes to see his glory again. Remembering God’s goodness and perfect plan may not free our bodies from the present prison today, but it frees our spirit to rejoice in the great hope we desperately need to find and maintain until the shackles are finally released.

 

May you be blessed today in remembering who God is, how He loves you, all He’s done, and His promises yet to be revealed in your life.

 

 

Thank you, Heavenly Father

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Have you ever imagined living a totally confused life, one where you have trouble remembering the things and people most important to you? Sure, we all  become forgetful sometimes, especially during seasons of high stress. We might even laugh at ourselves, walking into a room only to forget why we went there. But mental confusion is no laughing matter, especially when it is caused by Alzheimer’s.

 

I sometimes have wondered, if I could remember nothing but one thing, what would I want that to be? How about you? If you could be guaranteed to remember just one thing, with everything else forgotten, what would you have fill your mind? It is a daunting question that cuts straight to the heart of who we are and who we want to become.

 

In a recent article, singer Glenn Campbell’s wife, Kim sheds light on dealing with her husband’s life with Alzheimer’s Disease. Much of his care involves keeping him safe and at peace. While he lives in a mental fog much of the time and has lost much of his communication skills, Kim says he still can make short sentences and say things like “I love you” and “We are so blessed.” The aides and nurses say he must have been a godly man because they always see him walk over to the window and lift up his hands and say, “Thank you, heavenly Father.”

 

Kim shares, “When I see him do that, I know God is with him, and he’s aware of His presence. He’s relying on the Lord and gets his strength from Him. Even in his affliction, he’s ministering to people and trying to be a blessing. In between those moments, he’s lost. He wanders. He can’t communicate. He doesn’t understand what others say to him.”

 

It causes me to ponder how the storms of life sometimes creep upon us like an enveloping fog, causing us to forget the things that are most important, even if our memories are not impaired. Especially in those times, we need to know that God really is there with us and that we can draw close to Him.

 

The truth is, while the storms of life continually buffet our frail bodies, we can choose what we put into our hearts and minds today. What we choose to dominate our thoughts and ambitions now may be the very thing that controls us when all else is gone. The Psalmist writes, “I have hidden your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

 

Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble.” It’s guaranteed and seems to be part of our job description. But we can say, “Thank you Heavenly Father,” because He adds, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

 

I hope you let the gracious light of Jesus disperse the fog that comes your way today and find many reasons today to say, “Thank you Heavenly Father.”