October 5, 2021 – Reflections on “Remembering When…”

While growing up, I learned memories are fun stories of ‘remembering when’ something happened. My Dad and his brothers sat on chairs against a wall during family reunions and told story after story of fun experiences they had growing up on a farm in western Kansas. Their stories were more interesting than listening to my aunts.

One story was about their sister who baked some cookies. The cookies were great and fresh out of the oven. Her four brothers loved them. Their father came home from travel and tried to take a bite after they were cool. “These cookies would back great overcoat buttons if we had a drill strong enough to make two holes in them.” Then the brothers laughed and laughed, remembering.

Then I learned about dates and happenings in history class. Just the dates and a few terse statements telling what happened. But adding a story about the happening made the date memorable.

Nine years ago, we moved, and yesterday my granddaughter helped me open the Cedar Chest. All the treasures that it kept for me made so many memories come alive! I found that the dates on these memorable items added to their delight.

Some people purposefully call memory-making a planned event. I find it is simply life happenings to enjoy along the way. I found a sack of envelopes of my daughter’s red curls, I cut, and one labeled, 1964. Fifty-seven years ago, and now the red hair is greying.

I found my husband’s Air Medal and Distinguished Cross, received training as a gunner in a B-29 plane, but assigned to a B-24. He enlisted at seventeen. His cousin Ernie Frazier published his account, along with others in The Boot Hill Coffee Club, Volume I.

In 1952, my Mother removed beads from her 1928 wedding dress, which I found in my cedar chest, to sew on mine. Anna wore the dress in 1979.

After enjoying my treasures, including baby clothes, old letters, and cards from various people from long ago, I had another expected memory. I am thinking of the beautiful time when a final Reunion of all Reunions will take place.

For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. I Thessalonians 5:16-17.

It won’t be my uncles telling stories, but those listed in Hebrews 11, who By Faith, belonged to God. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and the prophets. How does this faith begin? By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. Hebrews 11:3. I can only imagine the stories they have to tell, and how their lives made a difference in the world in times of need. For this reason, they were born.

By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking for the reward. By faith, he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. Hebrews 11:23 – 29.

The faithfulness of God was surely with Moses as he trusted God, who led the Children of Israel from Egypt with a pillar of fire at night and a cloud by day. When the Egyptian soldiers came after them, it would be sudden death, for the Red Sea was at their backs and the Egyptian soldiers on chariots advanced. Certain death awaited them.

And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:13-14.

They trusted God and obeyed Him as He parted the Sea. As depicted in this free Bible image, can you imagine trusting the water to stay parted as you walk through? Can you imagine walking on dry land? Can you see the children’s eyes wide as they experienced this miracle of how God watches over us all?

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17.

How do we know the Way of God and follow Him? Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father, as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:6-7.

Our God knows what is ahead and prepares a way for us. His faithfulness and love are two of God’s attributes. He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So, he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for He was about to pass that way.  Luke 19:1-4.

Why was the Sycamore tree planted where Jesus would pass by? The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5.

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations. Psalm 22:27-28.