A Flood of Memories
Being at my father-in-law’s house after his funeral brought such a flood of memories. I’ve been puzzling over why my older memories of times with Dad affected me so differently now than they did before he closed his eyes to this earth. I’ve decided it's partly that, now, the book is completely closed. Mom had already gone on to heaven 14 years before, and we have no more time here to make memories. The memories are all we have, at least for now. But there’s even more to it.
Concerning memories of things we used to do together in previous times, but that we couldn't continue do together in his later years, it was still sweet to be able to reminisce together with him about those times. Now, though, our partner in remembering is gone, and it feels so very, very different.
Context, Connection, and Meaning--The Value in Stories Shared
Now, I’m beginning to see how good and healthy it is for us all to keep speaking of times gone by, even if it’s to others who weren't a part of the original memories, because doing so preserves the important dimensions of context, connection, and meaning for our lives. And those dimensions, in turn, form a backdrop of significance for our lives, as storytellers and story-hearers alike.
When we are all alone with memories that we don't actively communicate or share with anyone, there’s a danger that something inside us can begin to shrivel. It’s as if each of us can become a sort of timeline orphan, and not only do we suffer, but those who come behind us are robbed of their connection to a grander story. We have a very real need to continue to tell our stories—including the many ways God revealed Himself in His work in our lives—and others have a very real need to hear them.
A Connection to Yet an Even Grander Unfinished Story
In a way, God’s preservation of the stories of “our people” from the past in the Bible is both an inspiration and a model for us to continue into the future. I love how the stories in the Bible, the recorded episodes in the lives of our spiritual ancestors, give context, connection, and meaning to our lives, too, as we understand that we are part of God's big and beautifully orchestrated plan.
And that leads me to one more thought. As God’s people, we have more than a connection to a shared past, and we have significance in more than the past or even the present. Those who bear the name of the Lord Jesus Christ have a glorious shared future. The parting of death is only a temporary one. The resurrection of Jesus means that, actually, the book is not closed after all; death only marks the end of the earthly chapters.
“But as it is written,
'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'”
1 Corinthians 2:9
(NKJV)
It's true we can't even imagine what is ahead, but knowing the Author, it's bound to be good.
--Carol
