Remember?

This morning I had cinnamon toast  and chocolate milk for breakfast.  Yummy!


I know, what's the point?  Well, I remember having that for breakfast (not always cinnamon toast, but toast) almost every day of my life as a child and on into junior high school.  It was quick, it was easy, it was consistent.  It's not something I have very often now, but when I do it seems to bring back a flood of memories.

My brother was always up at the crack of dawn.  My mother had to drag me out of the bed.  My brother liked 'toast with the butter melted'.  He also had a 'behind' name rather than a 'last' name.  Last time I checked (sometime in the early 2000's) he still held the record at Hood Junior High School for the longest discus throw.  His record was one of the oldest standing.  Amazing.  A friend of mine who taught PE at the school tells me that she loved to watch him during class because he was so athletic and had so much fun competing. 

My cousins talk about things that happened when we stayed with our Papa and Mamma on the farm.  Their memories are detailed and specific.  I don't remember many details or specific events, only that we had great times together.  I do remember staying with an older cousin and going shopping for all kinds of toys with her last pay check of the summer.  I remember her mom being really angry with us over that, but can I just say it was one of the best times ever for both of us?

Memories can be comforting, or they can bring us pain.  Sometimes they are accurate, and sometimes they are not.  God requires us as a people to remember.  Throughout the Old Testament He commands the Hebrew people to erect stone monuments along the way.  He tells them, "You put the stones up so when you're walking along someday and your son/daughter asks you why that stone is there, you can tell them how I delivered you and made you safe and what a great and magnificent God I am".   (Kay's paraphrase)  During the last supper Jesus instructs His disciples in the same manner.  Remember me when . . . .

I'm thinking He wants us to do the same thing in our new 'modern' world.  Do you have memories of tough times that God has led you through?  I do.  Do you have memories of fantastic, unbelievable times of blessing in your life?  I do.  Do you have memories of when you really blew it, and you really don't ever want to think about those at all?  I do.  Do you have memories of specific times when God was revealing powerful truths about Himself to you?  I do.

I won't bore you with any of those stories right now.  Some will probably show up during the course of this blog.  The point is that we remember, and in remembering, we recall the glorious works of a magnificent, all-powerful God who loves us and calls us into relationship.  Wow!  That's worth remembering!!! 

PS -- He wants you to share those mighty works with someone too -- a good place to start is with your children.  It's even more rewarding when you can remember them together.