My brother came in town yesterday. I picked him up from the airport and we headed to our folks’ house where our other brother, cousin (who’s like a sister) and aunt, and their families, were waiting with them.
We ate a meal together around the old round farm table that was in my house all my life, but had also been in my dad’s and aunt’s house, too. They recalled tales of that very table being covered in oil cloth in their youth, and the entire family gathered around it to help make sausage. We laughed as they told us other memories of those years, when money was scarce, but love abundant.
Later, after the others had left, it was just us original five. My parents and their children sat around the living room, now all in the 40’s to 70’s range. It’s been a long, LONG time since that’s happened, I realized, as I looked around that room. Not surprisingly, the conversation went back to life when it was just the five of us all the time. Vacation joys and mishaps, tales of stuff we did without the folks being any the wiser, the reassuring of parents of a life well guided and well provided. We sat long into the evening (says the one early bird in a family of night owls) and laughed and remembered. It was a sweet time and fine balm for the spirit, especially for my dad as he navigates the stormy seas of a health challenge.
Memories, I think, can be the tie that binds, almost as strong as blood. Memories of faith are the same, if you think about it, serving to gird us up in times of challenge and remind us that we’re not alone…a series of snapshots of God’s work and faithfulness in our lives that say,
Keep going. We’ve got this, you and I.
Remember, today, what He’s already done for you. Things won’t seem quite so daunting, I promise, when your challenges are wrapped in memories of His faithfulness and tied securely with His love.
“Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:21-23 NIV
“Let all that I am praise The Lord; may I never forget all the good things He has done for me.” Psalm 103:2 NLT
Such a wonderful post…remembering today all of his faithfulness to me…he’s so good.
<3
You inspired me today with.. ” keep going. We’ve got this, you and I.” I think when we measure things in an earthly way we cant possibly imagine what it could have been if we would have faced it with “keep going. We’ve got this, you and I.” We’ll said and thank you!
A very sweet time and a very thankful Mom and Dad!!
As Bob Hope sang, “Thanks for the memories”!!