Remembering…
When I smell bread baking or
gingerbread….I remember Mom’s kitchen and her smile. When I hear the piano playing, the music
reminds me of Mom’s hands making beautiful sounds on the piano that could make
me fall asleep or wake up. When I see a garden, I think of my Dad. My earliest
memory is feeding our pet goat with a baby bottle in our back yard with my two
brothers. The memory of the fear I felt
on a summer afternoon. I sat by the
screen door and with a clacking of nails, a cat swooshed from nowhere and its
claws came through the screen. Why do I
remember these things, and more? The
senses have a way of evoking emotion that causes us to remember events in our
lives.
gingerbread….I remember Mom’s kitchen and her smile. When I hear the piano playing, the music
reminds me of Mom’s hands making beautiful sounds on the piano that could make
me fall asleep or wake up. When I see a garden, I think of my Dad. My earliest
memory is feeding our pet goat with a baby bottle in our back yard with my two
brothers. The memory of the fear I felt
on a summer afternoon. I sat by the
screen door and with a clacking of nails, a cat swooshed from nowhere and its
claws came through the screen. Why do I
remember these things, and more? The
senses have a way of evoking emotion that causes us to remember events in our
lives.
Conversations that
begin….where were you when JFK was assassinated?…bring many different
memories. Or when Apollo 13 exploded in
space? Personal memories I remember —
like walking down the aisle to be married, and giggling as Dad tried to get in
step. Or, when I nudged Ed when it was
time to ‘kiss the bride’.
became the Lord’s through baptism.
Remembering the births of our five children.
begin….where were you when JFK was assassinated?…bring many different
memories. Or when Apollo 13 exploded in
space? Personal memories I remember —
like walking down the aisle to be married, and giggling as Dad tried to get in
step. Or, when I nudged Ed when it was
time to ‘kiss the bride’.
became the Lord’s through baptism.
Remembering the births of our five children.
We all tend to forget and
shuffle memories that ‘we will never forget’, to the back yard of our memory
land. Then there are illnesses that
cause the loss of memories – even our identities – that which makes us who we
are. Our experiences and memories of those
experiences motivate our decisions and our next step in life.
shuffle memories that ‘we will never forget’, to the back yard of our memory
land. Then there are illnesses that
cause the loss of memories – even our identities – that which makes us who we
are. Our experiences and memories of those
experiences motivate our decisions and our next step in life.
Memory is a like a golden
coin with two sides –Remembering and
Forgetting. Remembering is bright
and shiny. Forgetting is dull and
worn. Which side is up in our lives?
coin with two sides –Remembering and
Forgetting. Remembering is bright
and shiny. Forgetting is dull and
worn. Which side is up in our lives?
Memories of hurts, slights
and the times we are angry with others tarnish and makes our life dull. Some fearful experiences teach us
discernment, a lesson in protecting ourselves.
Memories of love, birth, kindnesses given or received and positive
achievements give us the bright and shiny life. The choice is ours. A ‘pity party’ of one is succumbing to hopelessness. Remembering is an active art of renewing hope.
and the times we are angry with others tarnish and makes our life dull. Some fearful experiences teach us
discernment, a lesson in protecting ourselves.
Memories of love, birth, kindnesses given or received and positive
achievements give us the bright and shiny life. The choice is ours. A ‘pity party’ of one is succumbing to hopelessness. Remembering is an active art of renewing hope.
The book, Blood Work by Anthony J Carter reveals
how often God calls us to remember Him and what He has done for us. Curious, I searched for the word ‘remember’ in
the Scriptures. In the English Standard
Version there are 234 listed. In The
Voice, remember is listed 440 times. In New
International Version the number is 231.
Remembering is an important act.
Genesis has five ‘remembers’ that says God remembers. The one we remember the most – “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I
will see it and remember the
everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the
earth.” Genesis 9:16
how often God calls us to remember Him and what He has done for us. Curious, I searched for the word ‘remember’ in
the Scriptures. In the English Standard
Version there are 234 listed. In The
Voice, remember is listed 440 times. In New
International Version the number is 231.
Remembering is an important act.
Genesis has five ‘remembers’ that says God remembers. The one we remember the most – “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I
will see it and remember the
everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the
earth.” Genesis 9:16
Do we still see the rainbow? Yes.
It is God’s promise to us. It is
His love note to us. When we love Him, we respond by remembering His goodness
and greatness.
It is God’s promise to us. It is
His love note to us. When we love Him, we respond by remembering His goodness
and greatness.
When we forget God, we live in a dry dusty land
with no purpose. We forget how tenuous
this life is – just a vapor without hope.
And we forget how awesome it is to live in the circle of God’s will and
love and joy.
with no purpose. We forget how tenuous
this life is – just a vapor without hope.
And we forget how awesome it is to live in the circle of God’s will and
love and joy.
Today I reflect on the legacy that our parents
left us – the introduction to us of God our Father. Little did we know as restless children and
teens the precious gift they gave us – a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. That faith is a tiny seed and grows as we
mature and realize the preciousness of the sacrifice Jesus made of giving us
his life on the cross. And the
miraculous hope that becomes ours when Jesus defied death and was resurrected
from the tomb. Each of us walk this
earth that He created. Each of us
breathe the air that He gave us. All
around us are tokens of his Creation to help us remember that we ourselves were
created as eternal beings and belong to Him.
Yet, He stands back and lets us choose Him of our own accord. He wants to deepen our relationship with Him
and abide in Him.
left us – the introduction to us of God our Father. Little did we know as restless children and
teens the precious gift they gave us – a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. That faith is a tiny seed and grows as we
mature and realize the preciousness of the sacrifice Jesus made of giving us
his life on the cross. And the
miraculous hope that becomes ours when Jesus defied death and was resurrected
from the tomb. Each of us walk this
earth that He created. Each of us
breathe the air that He gave us. All
around us are tokens of his Creation to help us remember that we ourselves were
created as eternal beings and belong to Him.
Yet, He stands back and lets us choose Him of our own accord. He wants to deepen our relationship with Him
and abide in Him.
David wrote these words,
even as I would say, “Remember your mercy,
O Lord, and your steadfast
love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my
transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember
me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” Psalm 25:6-7
even as I would say, “Remember your mercy,
O Lord, and your steadfast
love, for they have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my
transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember
me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” Psalm 25:6-7
Remembering Jesus, being alert to His leading
every hour and every moment brings joy “You
see, all that is God, all His fullness, resides in His body. You, too, are
being completed in Him, the One who has dominion over all rule, all authority.
Colossians 2:9-10
every hour and every moment brings joy “You
see, all that is God, all His fullness, resides in His body. You, too, are
being completed in Him, the One who has dominion over all rule, all authority.
Colossians 2:9-10
As you remember this day, a
day of remembering, “May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” Psalm 115:15
day of remembering, “May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” Psalm 115:15
Comments? eacombs@att.net