"Precious Memories"

We all have them. They are called memories. Some we love to think about, some we wish we could forget. Our memories are cluttered up with experiences, events, people, places, and dates. They can be triggered by a variety of things such as sights, sounds and smells.

Memories are powerful. I still have an aversion to a particular kind of food due to a very unpleasant reaction I had one night. I’ll spare you the details.

The reality is, memories shape our perception of truth, they shape our thoughts and our thoughts shape our lives. Some of the greatest and fondest memories most of us have are of a place called home. Home is the place where memories are made. (yes I read it on a Hallmark card).

I have fond memories of my childhood. When I think of home it is filled memories which I cherish. We have all had the joy of going back to the place we grew up. As we walk around and smell those familiar smells and see those sights we had almost forgotten about, our minds are flooded with memories from the past and they bring a smile to our face and maybe even a tear to our eye as we reflect on all the things “home” means to us.

Not only are memories powerful they are also personal. They belong to me. It’s my memory interpreted through my senses, my emotions and my experience. That’ why two people can go through the same event, be brought up in the same home and have completely different memories of it.

How do we want to appear in the memories of our family, children and friends? How much thought have we given to that? Are we going to be the villain or the victor, generous or greedy, joy-loving or a joy killer? Will we be remembered as being kind or cranky, someone people were attracted to or someone they tried to avoid?

Memories are powerful, personal and permanent. We cannot undo the past.

How will we be remembered? There will come a day when that is all your family will have left. We cannot write in our “Will” how we want to be remembered. We must write it in the hearts of those we love while we are alive. We write it with our actions, our words, our attitudes.

Proverbs calls our attention to this in chapter 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is blessed”
The memory of the righteous. Righteous actions, words and attitudes will leave a legacy that will fill the memories of our loved ones with gratitude, joy and delight. As they reflect it will be remembering the example you set for them by the way you lived.

Memories are powerful, personal, permanent and purposeful.

As they reflect on “the righteous” they will give God the glory for his work in your life. The transforming gospel of grace that produced such fruit as you lived your life before them day in and day out will be lifted up for all to see and hear about. The memory of the righteous is a memory that glorifies the faithfulness of God and the power of the gospel to transform sinners into “the righteous” through the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

May our memories point people to Jesus Christ and the sufficiency and power of the gospel and the great joy there is living our lives for the one who gave His life for us.

Here’s an oldie’ but a goodie

PRECIOUS MEMORIES

VERSE#1
PRECIOUS MEMORIES, UNSEEN ANGELS
SENT FROM SOMEWHERE TO MY SOUL
HOW THEY LINGER, EVER NEAR ME
AND THE SACRED PAST UNFOLD.

VERSE#2
PRECIOUS FATHER, LOVING MOTHER
FLY ACROSS THE LONELY YEARS;
AND OLD HOME SCENES OF MY CHILD-HOOD
IN FOND MEMORY APPEAR.

VERSE#3
AS I TRAVEL, ON LIFE'S PATHWAY
KNOW NOT WHAT THE YEARS MAY HOLD;
AS I PONDER, HOPE GROWS FONDER
PRECIOUS MEMORIES FLOOD MY SOUL.

chorus
PRECIOUS MEMORIES, HOW THEY LINGER
HOW THEY EVER FLOOD MY SOUL
IN THE STILLNESS, OF THE MIDNIGHT
PRECIOUS, SACRED SCENES UNFOLD

Memories are powerful, personal, permanent, purposeful, and yes, memories are precious.

“The memory of the righteous is blessed”