Monday Morning Memo: Memories

This past week we had the opportunity to drive to the Atlanta area to visit my sister and her husband.  They moved there last year and this was the first time for us to see their new surroundings.

What a great time we had catching up on each other’s lives.  During our last evening together, my brother-in-law asked each of us to recall our earliest childhood memory.  What followed was lots of laughter while we reminisced about the days gone by.

Memories.  All of us have them.  Some are good and bring smiles to our face and warmth to our heart.  Some are not so good but we can see how we grew from the negative experiences.  Unfortunately, some are so painful that we have pushed them to the back of the recesses of our mind and they have taken deep root in how we live each day.

The hardest thing to grasp sometimes is that there is nothing we can do to change any of our memories.  We can’t have a re-do on anything that has transpired in our lives whether it was good…bad…or ugly.  But I think we often spend so much of our time trying to do just that.  We either try to relive the good times instead of making today better or we rehash the negative memories over and over again until it consumes our every thought.

I think it is important for each of us to remember a quote by Dr. Seuss, “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”  What is happening today, at this very moment, might either be a memory that you will want to forget or one that you want to cherish.  We have the opportunity to make memories today, tomorrow and in the weeks and months to come that make a difference in our life and in the lives of others either positively or negatively. 

We have lost several friends and family members recently and it made me think about the memories that I have from each person that passed away.  It also made me think about what memories I am leaving behind for others when I leave this earth.  As I shared last week, “When the Lord calls me home, I wonder what I will have left those here on earth.  Will I be remembered for reflecting the image of Christ, or for living only for my own pleasure?  Will others remember me as being a faithful follower of Christ, or a faithful follower of the world?  I know that the example that I leave behind could either draw others closer to my Savior, or push them farther away so I need to be diligent in making the right choices now so that what I leave behind will make a difference in eternity.” 

Memories.  What kind are you and I leaving behind today?  Paul wrote in Philippians 1:3, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”  How wonderful it would be if this could be written about each of us and what a wonderful goal for which we should strive. Whether this happens will be determined by the choices we make and in Who we have our focus.  If we are intentional in making sure that what we do today is in line with God’s will, I have a feeling that the memories we make will be much brighter and those that we leave for others to reflect on will bring a smile to their face and warmth to their heart.  Let’s do everything we can today so that those who we come in contact with will want to thank God for allowing us to be a part of their lives.