Memory Lane

"One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts." Psalm 145:4

I have always been a curious person from way back when (I think I have shared that with y'all before). I love pouring through old photos and sitting for hours scanning my parents family albums. I get all caught up in listening to stories of when my grandparents and parents were growing up. My imagination takes me back as they tell the tales of life when they were young. I am all about a day spent hearing narratives of what life was like in days gone by. Memories have a way of making one feel nostalgic and I love getting lost in those feelings.

I feel most connected to my roots when I learn about my family. We are so different but the same. We all have stories to tell. Some hold evidences of good times and not so good times. We carry badges of victory for our wins and scars from our defeats. We have laughed and cried and cheered on the mountaintops and buckled down and carried on through the valleys.

I think I enjoy hearing all the history of our lives because it helps me to have hope in knowing that there is always room for change and growth and maturity as time goes by. To have a connection with others that I may not have known other than the experiences my parents share with me are life giving, and I think it is good to have a healthy curiosity.

I catch myself some days sitting with one of my beloved photo albums in my lap. I relive the old days and see how far we've come. I think back on our blessings and our trials. I recall the times when we've laughed and when we've cried. I see how far we've come and how we succeeded when times were tough. I've learned life lessons just by living one day at a time and am thankful for where I am now but know I have so many more miles to go.

When I see the people's faces we have loved and lost I am thankful for how God has covered us with His compassion and led us to a path of healing and helped us to carry them in our hearts and the precious memories of them.

I notice the fine lines and wrinkles as the photos now portray an older me and I hold each one as a reminder of all that God has done. Each line on my face is evidence to me of a life lived with love and heartache, joy and pain, boldness and fear, but most of all, they remind me of God's constant presence.

Your children need to see and hear how God has been present in your life, "so that they might put their confidence in God" (Ps. 78:7). Sometimes we need the reminder of how He is with us today, tomorrow and forever.

I love you & He loves you more!

Lord, I will declare Your works to the next generation and will proclaim Your mighty acts (Ps. 145:4). I love You and am grateful for this life You blessed me with. In Jesus' name. Amen.