Memories

We just had our family room painted and with that came furniture rearranging and purging of some unnecessary items. Along with these items were some small pieces of furniture that I listed for sale.

One item was a small night stand in a spare room.

I sat on the floor as I opened the drawers to clean out its contents.

I was overwhelmed by both feelings of joy and sadness at the same time.

Scattered in front of me were many memories. One in particular was a photo of my granddaughter, along with a plaster hand print that was done when she was only two years old.
Every Bible we had ever purchased for her during her stages of growth was also in that cabinet.

In the same cabinet, there was a burgundy zippered bag; I readily remembered its contents, because it hadn’t been put there that long ago. It contained photos and memorabilia from my mother’s last years, along with the funeral “stuff.”

Then I found a small rectangular gray box. I had forgotten what was in that box. When I opened it, I found photos of myself and my brother when we were children. I found pictures of my daughter when she was just a child. I found pictures of my mother in her younger days, and I even found pictures of my grandparents.

I caught myself passing through so many emotional highs and lows in such a brief period of time; I didn’t know whether I would laugh or cry. Instead, surprising to me, I sat down at my computer to write this devotional.

Reminiscing has reminded me of just how quickly we pass through this life. Just how short a period of time we have to reach out to one another in love.

It reminded me of just how quickly those “moments,” both the good and the bad, become mere memories.

Scripture tells us we are here on earth for but a brief time. Psalm 78:39 reads, “For he remembered that they were merely mortal, gone like a breath of wind that never returns.”

I pray that the Lord will help me to remember this as I walk through each day. My desire is to walk through this life with him. I ask that I will both honor and glorify him as I live out the remainder of my life, whatever that may be. I ask him for the strength to do his will.

My desire is to grow to be more like him; to honor and glorify him; to love others.
My prayer for us all today is to focus on building good memories in the hearts and lives of those around us. Amen.