REMEMBERING

This past Saturday, my daughter and I looked through her box of memorabilia. There were pictures, artwork, ribbons, awards, medals, schoolwork, etc. One story she had written in the 2nd grade had us laughing so loud that it brought people from another part of the house to find out what in the world was going on. We noticed things that we hadn't noticed when the items were being packed away like, in her early artwork there was a unique trend to use repetitive color patterns. I had not caught that until I looked at lots of pictures side by side. Other things we had completely forgotten until triggered by entries made in her books. A number of things we knew were also reinforced or confirmed. For example, it has become legend that my daughter would not go to sleep before 11 p.m. even as an infant. There it was...entry after entry..."Baby's bedtime: 11 p.m." "3 year old's bedtime: 11 p.m." "2nd grader's bedtime: 'well, she goes to bed at 8:30 but doesn't fall asleep until after 11!' " Or, the fact that I love my girl and she loves me. There were tons of notes from me to her and from her to me...simple notes..."I love you, Rachel" or "I love you, mommy".

I have a memory book that is sort of like my own book of psalms. It holds things God is speaking to my heart and things from my heart to His. It helps me remember things about our relationship that I would have forgotten unless triggered by some entry. Just this morning, I went to add something to my book and my eye caught a title "God's Answer Continued" from an April entry. I went back to read what my questions had been. They were full of anguish and sorrow. But four months later, as I reread my entry and His answers, I realized that He had answered every one of my questions. Not all right away. Some answers I didn't have clarity on until this morning really, once I connected the dots that He had been laying down for me.

I love revisiting the past with God. It fills me in the present. It gives me hope for the future.

image taken from here.