Remembering

What a pleasant weekend this was! Time enjoying family; time remembering; time relaxing. I know Memorial Day is primarily a day to honor veterans and those who serve in the military; however, it has become, and appropriately so, a time to remember all those who have gone on before us. We recall and remember those who in some way made us what we are today, whether relatives, friends, teachers, or others. We may drive down streets and roads long ago traveled. We may slowly drive by the old school house or the old home place, or the childhood home of our best friend.

Some families, however, do not have the benefit of a history such as that. For whatever reason, they have disassociated themselves from those kinds of ties to the past. Marriage or divorce, moving a long distance away, desire to forget the past, or even lack of understanding that these things are important to a person may play a part in someone’s disassociation with the memories and events of the past.

There are over 160 times in the Bible (NASB) when the word “remember” is used. I especially like the place in Deuteronomy 32:7 where it is said, ““Remember the days of old, Consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, Your elders, and they will tell you.” These words are in what we call the “song of Moses” where he gives his final words to Israel before he goes on the mountain and dies. Moses says toward the end that the word he spoke, “Is not an idle word for you; it is your life.” Among other things, Moses says that the word which is life for Israel is that they are to remember and consider the past. Learn of those things and people that went before.

We should not live in the past. In a real sense, we are to forget what lies behind and press on, as Paul says, toward the goal of the high calling of Christ. Yet our history, our past, our foundation is what we are made of and is what has formed us into what we are today, and in many ways sustains us and renews us as we indeed press on. A healthy balance of past, present, and future is a necessity. Learning from and heeding the lessons of the past helps us today, as we look forward to the goal of hearing “Well done” from our savior and Lord.

Print PDF