Mom, Dad, and great-granddaughter, about 2011
As he got older, my dad would occasionally quip, “My memory is so good I can remember things that didn’t even happen!”
Actually, Dad remembered accurately many past events, numerous jokes, a plethora of interesting trivia, and an impressive amount of Bible knowledge—well into old age.
Some years ago I happened to recall a fun song from my childhood, but a few lines of lyrics had escaped my memory. Dad was in his upper-eighties by this time, but I asked anyway.
“Do you happen to remember the lyrics to “Cheer Up, Cheer Up?”
He remembered them perfectly, and we enjoyed reminiscing about the Scottish pastor who’d taught us to sing the chorus with a Scottish accent.
Delightful memories are one of the joys of getting older.
In fact:
But God designed our memory-capacity for more than just enjoyment. He had in mind important purpose as we use this ability to foster our relationship with him.
For example:
Remembering God’s interventions contributes to our hope.
Looking back over our lives, we all can remember how God has brought us through challenging times, miraculously supplied urgent needs, and guided us in difficult decisions.
As a result, we can affirm: if he took care of those situations then, he can certainly take care of this situation now. And we find hope beginning to bloom.
Remembering God’s mighty deeds bolsters our faith.
Like the psalmist Asaph wrote: “I will ponder all your works and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?” (Psalm 77:12-13).
Remembering is a form of worship. And as we rehearse with him the miracles we’ve witnessed and experienced, our fears subside, doubts shrink, strength increases, and our confidence in God expands.
Remembering God’s faithfulness fosters gratitude and peace.
Brain research has confirmed that “engaging in gratitude rewires neural-pathways, combating anxiety.”
That means, with every remembrance of God’s faithfulness, we’re taking advantage of the ability he’s given us, to calm our stress and hard-wire pathways to peace. *
Remembering the past encourages personal and spiritual growth.
We find wisdom for the present from the lessons learned in the past.
One lesson I’ve learned along the way was actually proclaimed eons ago by a Greek playwright, Aeschylus: “Happiness is a choice.”
I can choose negativity and spiral downward into discouragement, or I can look for the blessings in my life and give my heart a good dose of cheer (Proverbs 17:22).
I’d rather do the latter.
Remembering the past contributes to obedience.
- As we consider how God has provided throughout our lives, we’re more able to obey the instructions:
- As we praise God for what he’s accomplished in the past, we’ll sidestep complaining about a difficulty in the present.
- As we remember the joy of liberal generosity (Acts 20:35), we’ll avoid tight-fisted possessiveness.
- And as we strengthen our faith by remembering God’s amazing deeds, we fight against spiritual complacency.
With the psalmist we can affirm:
We have no need for wishful thinking, remembering things that didn’t even happen. Pondering all the wonders God has performed for us will keep us happily occupied into eternity.
Image credits: Nancy Ruegg; http://www.easy-peasy.ai; http://www.canva.com; http://www.heartlight.org; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.canva.com.
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Such a sweet photo of you dear parents with their great-granddaughter, Nancy! Yes, memories are some of the greatest gifts God has given us, and remembering His deeds past and throughout our days will keep our hearts filled with hope, assurances of His power, and the ability to be thankful for each new day. Gratefulness for all our blessings is the best way we can be living testimonies to our loving Father. Blessings!
Thank you Martha, and an enthusiastic AMEN to your reflective thoughts!
Thank you, Nancy. I always look forward to Thursday but this week’s writing pulled on the heart strings. Love the picture of Geri and Robert and their great granddaughter! They will always rank at the top of my list of people who most influenced my growth in Christ. I plan to pass this along to a few Bannockburn friends who knew and loved them. Ron Howell
HELLO Ron! How delightful to hear from you! Thank you for sharing that Mom and Dad influenced your growth in Christ. That pulls at my heart strings. You can imagine how they impacted my own spiritual growth as I grew up! How delightful that some at Bannockburn still remember them fondly.
Remembering is such a powerful thing–the number of times the Lord tells us to “remember” is that spark that allows us to contemplate what good things He has done, how faithful He has been, and that He’s always been there for us. I love the picture–al three look so happy. And yes, happiness is a choice. The alternative isn’t so great.
Of course, God knew the value of happy memories long before researchers discovered that they cause the release of endorphins, dopamine, and seratonin, which impact us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It was all part of his design from the beginning. Remembering is indeed a powerful thing! / I’m glad you liked the picture. Mom and Dad were VERY happy to spend time with their one-and-only granddaughter (at the time)!
Your encouragement of others to remember their past experiences and apply biblical lessons to their lives is a wonderful discipline to point out. I love the picture of your parents with their great-granddaughter. They radiate with the joy of their love for the Lord. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy. Mom and Dad did take joy in so many things–serving God in their church and community, spending time with family and friends, singing God’s praises, helping others, etc. etc. They did indeed live out their faith!