I’m thinking today about the capacity to remember. With divine deliberation and unclouded foresight, the Creator chose to fashion the mind of man with memory. To be able to recollect – to re-collect images, experiences, expressions, numbers, dates, conversations, consequences, and encounters – is the champion quality of the well-functioning mind.
Maybe being around my family so much in recent days has sparked this subject in my thoughts. I cannot laugh with my daughters across the table at a restaurant without remembering them as little girls. I cannot kiss my father-in-law on his silver brow without recalling him as a man bigger than life in his mid-forties the first time Keith introduced us at a professional hockey game.
Like many of you, I have at times completely abhorred the capacity to remember. I still have flashbacks of staggering and disturbing moments in my childhood. I remember a scene in my home in my young adolescence that still causes the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. A song from the 70’s can still stir up the ache of a break up with a first love. To me, perhaps the worst of all dimensions of memory is regret. Regret is the excruciating recollection of all the decisions I could have made a different way. It’s the acrid memory that no one else assigned me. It’s mine alone to own. That I find the hardest of all. I have hated the capacity to remember so much that, at times in my life, I’ve held my head with both hands and yelled, “Stop it!”
But today I’m thinking to myself that all the torturous memories I’ve stacked up like past-due library books on the bedside table of five decades are worth the capacity to recall moments that make life on this earth worth the trouble.
Like the first time a handsome, jet-black headed young man reached across the front seat of a sports car at a stoplight and held my hand. He held it again this morning.
Like the first time I got to be all alone with a child I’d carried for nine months and I unwrapped the swaddling, leaned over her and whispered with tears dripping from my chin, “Hi there. My name is Mom.”
Like the time I took the training wheels off the smallest-ever bike and gave my baby girl a push and watched her take off down the pavement, pedaling furiously and perfectly, with blond locks of hair dancing behind her like banners in the sun. I’ve been chasing after her ever since.
Like the first time that same child threw a three-pointer. And that time I did a double-take and realized she’d shaved her legs…about 2 years too early.
Like the look on her big sister’s face when we walked outside her favorite restaurant on her 16th birthday and a new car was in the circle driveway with a large bow on it. Thanks to her grandparents who’d owned it and saved it for her.
Like this morning when I played on the swing set out here in these Texas trees with an eight year-old and a five year-old who have an uncanny resemblance to my oldest.
Like innumerable times I’ve laughed with friends until we couldn’t sit up. And prayed on our faces until we almost couldn’t get up.
I could keep going and maybe I will on my own but it would be over-indulgent here. I just want to say today that memory is a gift. An exquisite one. An excruciating one. The same capacity that invites us to replay something beautiful can recount the deplorable in startling color.
The point of this is to say that I, for one, think it’s worth it. Even with all my regrets and amid all the flashbacks. Despite all the disappointments and heart-sinking disillusionments.
To remember is among the dearest of all human capacities. A sliver of Imago Dei. Over and over on the sacred page we find the words on which we hang our hope. And God remembered.
To be thankful is, in itself, to remember.
So, today, Lord, I want to say to You that I am thankful. Because I remember. I remember the ditch You pulled me out of. I remember the hopelessness I’ve felt and the fears that I had no future. I remember a time when I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. And I remember that the sun came up the next morning and the next and the next, glistening without fail on a heap of fresh mercies. I want to say that You have been right all along. And that life is such a gift. And it is precious. And passes with such haste. What we can hope is that there would be no waste.
And, to those of us who love You, who are called according to Your purpose, You have promised that to be true.
We are grateful today, Lord, precisely because we remember.
We remember how good You’ve been to us when life has been awful.
We remember the light through the cracks in the door when we tried to lock ourselves away in the darkness.
We remember that You would not leave us alone even when we begged You to.
We remember Jesus.
We remember Him crucified. Raised. Ascended. Seated. And interceding.
Thank You, all-wise and benevolent God, for the capacity to store up collections of Your kindnesses to us through the courses of our lives.
You are good. Your love endures forever.
Help us remember.
Thank you, Beth – for reminding me to ponder on the happy memories. This week I have been focusing too much time on the unpleasant ones that have been filling my heart.
Oh thank you Beth… My struggling and aching heart needed that… It’s hard getting up off the ground. Bless you and thank you
I love this! I love remembering loved ones who are now in Heaven. I love how God is so gracious to allow our minds to remember so vividly those we miss. One event that I have vividly remembered since I was 4 1/2 was getting to go to a Billy Graham crusade. The whole coliseum stood at the end and held hands and sang “Because He Lives.” I remember thinking as a child that this must be what Heaven will be like. That memory of all the voices singing in a huge outdoor arena has stayed with me vividly.
I love when you write like this. I’m gonna take a little bit to share what I remember about you who was my first favorite Bible teacher in all of life 🙂
I remember the first time I saw you on screen of “Jesus The One And Only,” and how I thought “my goodness someone out there that thinks to the depths like I do”
And I’ve loved your studies ever since. I was enthralled in the fact there was such a thing as Greek and Hebrew translation and I loved how you managed to speak generally yet very transparently at the same time in what God has taken you from. And I love you share in being sanguine…it’s not easy being us lol 🙂
And I have sweet memories of siesta meet ups and pictures and laughter…I’m grateful to have experienced that and had a chance to meet others face to face that I only knew by blog name…
And meeting up with a few others…blessed my heart for life.
And I’ll never forget that my mom came with me to LPL Daytona and she said “I don’t want anyone telling me what to do or what to believe in” and literally you repeated that from stage and it was awesome 🙂
I’d have more to say but it’s not for me to take up space and babble on. I just thank you for being obedient to The Lord. I’m proud of ministry and all you’ve taken on.
Love to all 🙂
Angie Sarich
Oh, my goodness, Angie. What gracious words. What grace of God.
🙂 —- indeed, by grace alone. I’m so grateful for these memories….God used you, your girls, LPM, and the siestas to remind me of His goodness and Ephesians 3:20… Love ur face. ❤️
I have thought on the blessing of memories a lot lately also. As I made my mama’s stuffing this week, I remembered watching her and trying to write down what ‘a little of this’ and ‘a pinch of that’ really was 🙂 She passed away in 2010 and I am so very thankful for every memory I have of her. My dad is in a nursing home and his health is declining rapidly. Dementia has taken his memory and I never know from visit to visit what state I’ll find him in. Because of this new normal for him, I bounce between being sad when he doesn’t know me and being intrigued at the stories he tells. But in all things, I trust in the sovereignty of God.
Blessings to you and your family.
Beth, I happened to check in on your blog tonight. OH MY, you seem to reach out to us at “just the right moment” to minister to our weary souls.
I am grateful God has pulled me out of an unexpected ditch, the recover is has been and continues to be a major undertaking and I wonder if there is a future outside of survival. You put words to my soul’s weariness as yet another new change faces me this week. I have to assume God says it is time to pull up stakes and “break camp” as you shared with us previously- I’m not sure I have recognized a “promised” land – I am grateful for your journey, your ministry, your family and YOU dear sister in Christ- you spoke to my weary weary scared soul to night. Blessings to you and yours, xo
Beth, this is a truth that is so personal to me as my mom has been in a nursing home since 2010. She was diagnosed with Alzhemier’s at the age of 61 and at the age of 77, most of her memory is gone.
I am so thankful and praise God for the gift of my memory and I treasure it everyday. Memories make life meaningful. Even the bad ones remind us of how good God is to us.
Blessings to you and your family. You mean so much to the Kingdom!
Crystal
Beautiful, Beth.
Beth: I remember going to a conference in Columbia, SC several years ago. I brought my sister, Patti Goulston, to hear you speak of Our Jesus. As we approached The Collesium I felt a bit of fear arise within me that my sister would reject The Message. My heart was breaking for her. Her Jewish husband of 15 years had just abandoned her and their 2 young girls. By Faith, I asked her to join me in what I described was a ” Woman’s Conference of Southern Ladies…(20,000+followers of The One). Questions flooded my mind. Would she be mad at me for inviting her to this gathering? Would she feel uncomfortable…being “Jewish”…in such a Christian environment? Would she even understand what was being said? As the door opened, the very first person to greet us was none other than a lovely woman dressed head-to-toe in black. Without question A precious gift from God…a Sign Language interpreter. A look of delight flooded my deaf sister’s face! Considering there are probably 12 doors to enter into the Coliseum it was God-ordained to walk into the very person we needed to be reassured we were in the right place. As we were settling in you started to approach us sitting in the “deaf section”…but then made a turn and we never got to meet you. The Power of The Holy Spirit may have directed you elsewhere for that evening. Praise God, through the years and with lots of prayers, my sister, Patti and her 2 daughters accepted Jesus as their LORD and Savior. God used you to plant a seed that evening. We all now worship The Greatest Jew that ever lived!!! Thank you Beth for obeying God’s calling on your life…speaking of God’s glory and greatness to the many who come with a bit of fear and a whole lot of Faith! God is good and hears our prayers. Please continue to keep my sister in your prayers that she may stay on His Path and receive His Blessings. Thank you for all you do. May the LORD continue to bless you and your precious family. Merry CHRISTmas!
This touched my heart so much Maureen Lannamann, May the LORD keep you each one in His loving care! So thankful for those who teach us, and for the LORD who puts His Words on their tongues and in their hearts. Thanks for telling your story!
At the thanksgiving table my 24 year old son blew my mind when he commented on my answer to what would I do with the time I’d have without tv or internet for a month. I said I’d read all the many books I’ve been meaning to read and he said “Beth Moore and Joyce somebody” it meant so much to me that he knew who I spend my time studying with, I didn’t even think he knew. He remembered! Thank you for this blog. Merry Christmas.
Beth, I am so very grateful that God has given us the capacity for memory. My precious momma went home to be with the Lord on the 18th of this month. She left as she lived, completely sold out to Jesus. Her last words on this planet were rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice. I was blessed beyond measure to have a wonderful mother like her and I will remember every special moment I got to spend with her. She lived in my home and I have spent every single day but my college days with her as my sidekick. I will miss her greatly but remember what she taught me about my precious Jesus. And I will see her again one day. Memory is indeed a gift. Thank you for reminding us.
Oh Dear Beth, that was beautiful and let me tell you as you age your memory sharpens. I can tell you that as I have a few years on you!!
I recalled with a cousin the weekend you were in Billings of times shared together when growing up.
Our Mom’s were sisters and though we grew up and apart we remember… Meals shared around the holiday tables. How awful Aunt Olga’s mincemeat pie was,playing up in the big hay mow ( a huge area in the barn upper stair where fresh hay was stored for winter’s food for animals. My sister lost a shoe in it once and it was found many years later by a new family who had a snoopy dog that carried it around half devoured like some prize. Their collie shepherd cross dog named Rex. Her brother Allen’s raft we took voyages on in the back yard pond. We thought we’d sailed across the ocean!
To remember is to relive both good and bad. Hopefully we learn from the bad and rejoice over the good.
I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR ABUSED PAST BUT, Beth it has made you who you are today without it I am not sure you would have the intensity you have now. You are one who needs to experience life to the fullest whatever that means or entails so God know what He was doing with and for you through the dark days. Your life reflects His goodness now with a radiance beyond just normal make up jobs! It has a natural glow
“As for you,you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:20 ESV
Bless you,Dear Beth!
Love across miles,
Betty M
Dear Sweet Beth,
This post touched me so much! Thank you for sharing. I could hear your heart. Something only He can allow to flow through a chosen vessel like you. God bless you and all your family this Christmas Beth. He wants only to bless you more as you stay true to Him. Sometimes that means REST…
Simply gorgeous…thankful you shared your heart today.
Remembering when you taught at First on Sunday’s and how much that meant to my life. How God used your words, your life to speak to me. Grateful. And the cards I gave you with King James Version scriptures written in them, sweet. Loved the laughter.
Love, Allison.
Beth, Thank you for sharing your heart with me…. I’m so thankful for you.
Lori
Beth I thank God for you. This post soothes my soul after a chaotic week that began with surgery. I had trouble waking, but did. I worried if I would be able to pull off Thanksgiving but thanks be to God, I did. I have so much to be thankful for but sometimes when you are tired, it’s harder to remember all the blessings right in front of you and to give thanks. You’re a blessing to me sweet sister in Christ!
So Grateful that even when I forget, HE does not!!!
GOD is sooo very Good!!!
Delighting in HIS FAITHFULNESS!
I agree completely! So much trauma from my childhood, but so many wonderful blessings from God! It’s so good to remember. Just this morning I was on my knees praying while my rescue dog was lying on my bed. I was petting her and thanking God for her. She is a reminder that HE rescued me! HE saved me! Just like our family took her out of a miserable life God took me out of a life of sin. I praise HIM for that! I love Him so much because He first loved me, at my worst when I was UNLOVABLE! God is so good! Yes, indeed, it’s good to remember all the wonderful blessings from God, but also what we’ve been delivered from.
Beth,
There are not many people that strike me with their writing like you do! Girl, you can FLAT WRITE!
I was making my daughter’s bed earlier today and you popped into my head. I prayed for you–as I have throughout the years. I remember you talking at an LPL about fighting images as or before you took the stage. That has always stuck with me and you are often in my prayers! I have walked through many studies with you teaching and am so grateful for that time.
I pray for my kids, when I have made bad mom mistakes or choices that God strike that from their precious little minds. I remember that crappy moments with my own parents and how that stuck with me.
The memory is a tricky thing and I’m grateful for the reminder that we need to take it as a gift. As I’m staring down my mom’s birthday (we haven’t seen each other in 15 years due to serious mental health issues she deals with) the memories flood back- both good and bad. So I needed this reminder that God remembers too.
I am so grateful for your family and all the work in ministry. I can’t imagine the price it has cost at times. Just know I for one and so grateful for ya’ll.
PS. I hope your turkey was superb and your gravy perfect!
Beth I have followed you for several years and love your passion for Jesus. I have recently been diagnosed with dementia and my biggest fear is forgetting my loved ones and forgetting how much I love Jesus and how much he loves me. Please pray for my family and me. I was in charge of the ladies ministry at First Baptist Church in Katy and you came and spoke to us several years ago and I have attended a lot of your Bible Studies at First Baptist Houston. Thank you for pouring your life into so many women, you have always been a blessing to me.
Thank you, dear Beth. Your straight from the heart words have deeply blessed me.
What a joy to know in heaven we won’t remember a single sad memory… only the joyful ones.
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for sharing your faith and your life experiences. I have led several of your studies and they are such a blessing! We just finished “Children of the Day” and I am so appreciative of you and God’s timing. I just recently went through a horrible divorce after 33 years of marriage. I have child hood abuse in my past and had thought I finally had found a man I could trust who wouldn’t hurt me or betray me. I found out that was not the case for most of my married life. Your study was so helpful to me at this “remixing” time in my life. God is showing me how to totally rely on him. I am putting one foot in front of the other a day at a time. I know that God is walking with me and guiding me in this new and at times extremely difficult chapter of my life. Thank you for being willing to be used for the glory of God! Lives are being changed! I know mine has! Have a blessed Christmas and New Year!
Dear Beth,
So many memories…
Just yesterday was praying about my own salvation history and remembering the Lords faithfulness to me. He is doing a mighty work in our community. Thank you for the role you have played and continue to play in our faith life. We remember you with great love and affection. Many blessings to you dear friend
Dearest Beth,
Thanks for words said so beautifully with so much grace. What a blessing you are. I have tears as I write this. I said good-bye to my brother David this week. I think there should be a law against people dying around the holidays. It just seems a little more bitter. But saying good-bye is never easy no matter what time of year it is. David was so much older than I so we were never very close. But I loved him just the same. I remember how it drove him crazy when I was being sassy and standing with my hands on my hips when I was little thinking I was all that. Grin. I remember his laugh. The sound of his voice. I pray I never forget. I have a great picture of him and I and my pal Skippy the beagle , I was three, and he had just come home from hunting. I just can’t believe he’s really gone. David heard the gospel many times but turned his back on it. I tried to call him a few times in the times leading up to his passing, but he was always resting or receiving care. I called him last Friday and once again hospice was there. He told me to call on Monday at a certain time. When I called his wife said he had passed in the night. I so wanted to have the chance to remind him that Jesus loved him, died for him, and wanted to be with him for eternity. There’s no way to know what happened in the time leading up to his passing. I can only hope. Dearest Beth, will you forgive me if I’ve gone off the beaten path in my response. But right now my heart hurts and this is where my remembering is lingering. Today you were on twitter talking about staying home away from black Friday. I was wishing I was there with a steaming cup of coffee and some sweet bread sitting next to you, knowing Jesus would be close by.. feeling not only the comfort of Him, but also my Siesta Mama..Is it okay to let my heart dream to such places at times when life hurts so much…I hope so. I love you Beth. Mary Gegare
Dear Beth,
This post really hit home….I have been thinking about memories from the past in the recent few weeks. Some good..some not so good..but through it all, I can see how the Lord walked with me and times carried me. I am not the same person as I was then and for that I am thankful. Thank you for sharing from your heart. I so appreciate you and your heart for women’s ministry. So blessed that we’re sisters in Christ!
I am thankful for memories too. Today, I hold on to the memories of a young man that I said goodbye to…. just 5 weeks ago. A young man who taught me so much about living your last days well. I have had the honor of holding countless hands in their last moments… but this young man was someone I knew. God chose not to heal him physically, but stink, He HEALED him in so many other ways. The young man who came to the clinic a year earlier was not the same man who left this world on a warm Tuesday afternoon in a hospital out in the bush. A short while before He left this world, I told him it was ok to go… that God would take care of his family…. He told me that He was going. He said “carry me”… Oh, how I wish there was a part of me that could have carried him… but instead, I held his hand and knew that God was not only with him then… but would also be there to welcome him home. Not even a week later, my sweet grams also left this world and walked into the embrace of her God. Oh, How I loved my grams…. I was thousands of miles away on another continent when she left…. and so I clung to the memories of my grams… the times of laughter and good conversations. She was a bit hesitant to hug… I was all about hugging. It was fun to watch her soften. She was spicy and conservative… all in one. And today, I sit with another dear friend who celebrated a clean cancer declaration now facing the reality of mets to her brain. We are in Nairobi 70% of the way done with her radiation. Her limp arm can now move. We don’t know how the story will end… BUT I know in a renewed and sweet way that He’s got her. I saw him work in Wizeye’s heart and prepare Him for the ultimate healing and I watched God prepare my grams. Part of the peace I experience right now… is because of the memories I have… the glimpses of seeing Him do the impossible. The moments of watching Him give peace where peace should not have been….. it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. Because, stink…. it is hard. But, I am so thankful for the memories. I remember today with fresh tears burning my eyes… I miss em…. and as I remember… I lean into my God… and I trust Him to lead me through this path of mourning… and celebrating… and trusting… and living…..
Beth,
Thank you for graciously reminding us of the gift of remembrance, that God allows us our memories, and that He remembers us, loves, and takes care of us in so many ways.
Blessings to you and your beloved family this Thanksgiving weekend!
Aloha Ke Akua!
Beth, my heart goes out to you each time you tell of your past. There are so many who have been hurt in their young lives and I can only pray for God to hold you tight. I think it was you who said, when there are no words to say to someone who has been hurt so deeply, just say, ” I am so sorry”. Well that IS how I feel. I am so sorry for you and others who have been through it. I have told others that too, so thank you for telling us how and what to say to hurts. I know one day these memories will be all wiped away, and we Thank God for that. Thank you too for the reminder to just Thank God for the Good things in life He has given us to remember, and when He allows More good times, we can crowd out the bad! Having a Thankful heart will bring those Good things to the front! I care deeply and appreciate so much your teaching of the heart. Love you dearly! THANK YOU!
Ms. Beth, This was so beautifully written. Just this week our precious daughter had a craft for all this holiday. They were little turkeys with words written on it “what we were each thankful for this thanksgiving! I totally thought of so many things starting with the Lord, but was most important with such a beautufil holiday spent was, Im most thankful for the memories. Yes, your story touched my ♥.
Dear Sweet Beth,
Thank you and may God bless you and your family. Thank you for sharing always from your heart. The good, the bad, the ugly, and how God uses it all for His glory. You have taught me so much and pointed me to God. Because of your studies, I have gained a new and deeper love for God’s word. You have challenged me and I love it. I too spent time with my family this Thanksgiving and really gave thanks for the members around the table. I remember them all as little ones. The smiles and tears they brought to my heart.
I remember the first time I was involved in one of your studies at my church, and how, I must confess, just watched, and did not really participate in them. And how God caused a hunger to grow and know him more, that lead to a Women’s study in my home. How God choose which women to send to the study and how long they stayed. Oh how my love grew for God. How I got braver and more sure of myself to lead a group, it is so not me. And now I look how God has brought it to an end. Thanks again for sharing your memories, and how God uses all things for our good and His glory.
Blessings to you and your family. Love you dear sister in Christ.
Thank you ever so much for this post. I am so thankful that God knows exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. Thank you! One of the things I am so very thankful for this year is for the opportunity to go through Breaking Free bible study. It has been life changing!
Beautiful. Thankful for you!
Thank you, Beth, for warming our hearts and encouraging us with your most special gift of creative writing. It always makes me laugh, packs a punch and scoots me a little closer to the Lord Jesus.
Rich, rich blessings to you and your family-
Thank You “ALL” for sharing your heartfelt thoughts!! It amazes me of how Great The Great I AM really is!!! He is intricately woven into each of ours lives in a very personal way which in turn bonds the Family of God in ways sooooo uniquely filled with love, purpose, hope & balance. Our hearts long that everyone would want to be a part of “HIS” family!!!
Beth, I know the value of the gift of memory also. But it is not how I would like. I am losing my memory due to brain cancer. One day it may all be gone. I wish I could remember all the little things but I can’t. You will never value your memories more than when you lose them.
This post is both beautiful and bittersweet, as are the comments. Before my mom passed on, seeing her memory trickle away from dementia was such a painful experience. As time passed, the days her memory was strong became cherished heart-treasures to cling to for the times she drifted away from us. Also, a song about the shared memories of a couple that was popular a while back (ironically I can’t remember the title) really tugged at my heart. My husband had passed away a few years before (at the relatively young age of 47), and one of the things I missed most was having someone that shared the memories of our sons’ births and childhoods. I thank the Lord for the precious gift of memory given us, and thank you for the reminder of that. That’s what Thanksgiving is all about! Blessings to you and your family.
Beautiful. Thank you so much for this post!
As I was reading this, I suddenly started humming an old song that I actually sat at my mother’s piano on Thursday and played:
“Roll back the curtain of memory every now and then
Show me where You brought me from
And where I could have been.
Remember, I’m human and human’s forget.
So remind me, remind me, dear Lord.”
Thank you, Beth and Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Dori
Hi;
Yesterday as I was waking up God put in my mind thoughts of the different places I have lived.My dad was transferred a lot with his job so we moved a lot. God had me write down a special memory from each home. It was a sweet trip down memory lane for me.
And speaking of memories. The first time I heard you was with James and Betty -Fully Alive. Wow! Listening to the 3 of you. I had never before heard people who loved Jesus so much and could put it into words. That changed me forever.
Thank you! Denise
Oh Beth, all I can say is “awesome” and “timely”. You are truly a servant……a worthy servant. Thank you for these words that so many hold in their hearts but unable to verbalize. God is so good to give you to us in this time and place. May He continue to bless you and your family.
You have spoken to my deepest heart this morning. God knew what He was doing when He gave us the gift of memory. It is an unfathomable treasure and a deep well of pain, all to be turned over to our gracious unfathomable God, who knows exactly how to make good out of it all.
God bless and bless you!
Thank you for the reminder to stop and take time to remember – especially remember a God who so graciously stopped (and stops) to remember me (us). I really do need this especially to face the day. It sure gives hope!
I read this today and was truly blessed by it. My father in law lives with us and unfortunately his memory is going and just 6 weeks ago his wife passed away. He is confused so much of the time. How blessed we are to remember. I never really thought of it. I don’t spend enough time reflecting and enjoying memories, but I think this post will help me to that more. So I am thankful this season for remembering your wise words and the Word of God in my life. I forget easily and get distracted. I am redoing Believing God and practicing more Remembering and Expecting God to work. I relistened to Session 6 yesterday and realized that the joy comes in the victory Jesus has already given us and not in our circumstances. That may be the victory that Satan wants to hinder us from expressing!
We need a “like” button!! So many times (over the years) I read these posts and want to hit a like button because there isn’t anything super poetic in me posting “Love this! Good job! Nailed it!” 😉 . However, I do enjoy the posts and videos whether or not (mostly not) I respond with a brilliant comment. Heehee. Love all that you are! Blessings to you and yours this holiday season!
So true. The greatest memory–of my salvation, sustains me and reminds me of a God that pursued me and protected me. My kids are missionaries and with limited contact, I try to savor every moment via Skype and even now am making memories with them in Madagascar!
Sometimes, for me, the bad memories drown out the good ones and leave me feeling depressed and without hope. I was once told to write down all of the blessings and miracles the Lord has done for me, and then read them when I was at that low point. Admittedly,I am guilty of not always doing that, but when I do, it definitely makes a difference. “I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from ALL of my fears”. He is faithful.
Amen.
Thank you, sweet Beth for helping us to “remember” HIS forever Loving Goodness to us on a daily basis!!! We are all such privileged “princesses” of our KING!!! 🙂
Beth, Thank you for putting into words what many hearts are feeling, especially this weekend as we reflect with humble hearts filled with thankfulness, not only for Thanksgiving but as we prepare for God’s coming to dwell with us, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ our Immanuel, God with us! Your sharing brought me to tears as I remember my journey with both sadness and Joy, knowing that God uses all for good, life lessons and teaching moments that come together, working in my life daily to the glory and honor of a heavenly Abba Father who loves us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son so that we may have life with Him, everlasting and eternal with our Father in Heaven! God Bless!