Stored Away Memories...and Thanksgiving

     Recently, my youngest brother, Jack, brought up several boxes of memorabilia and photos, along with an old, scratched up cedar chest, which had been stored away in their shed. Since he and his new wife are moving to the coast, the big job of cleaning, sorting and discarding things has begun. Jack wondered if we could store some of mom's things at our house.

    “You’ll cry,” he said laughingly, as he and Debbie told us about some of the photos inside the boxes. At first I was consumed with going through the contents so that I could have an orderly guest bedroom again. Then things started to catch my eye….my grandpa’s blue wool fireman’s shirt neatly folded in a Mervyn’s box; many wonderful shots of my parents together from their courtship days to their retirement years, always smiling and always side by side; and folders full of pictures of the five of us kids, including our favorite pet…a turtle named Myrtle (actually a rescued desert tortoise.)

     Jack was right! I could feel the tears welling up as memories began to come back, one after another. It was sad knowing how things have changed with time and that they would never be the same again. And yet I was filled with gratitude for the wonderful home my parents gave us and especially for the love they showered upon us. It was because of the unconditional love modeled in our home that I was able to believe that God loved me and make the life-changing decision of accepting Christ at the age of nineteen.

    The delivery of the boxes came at a good time—just before Thanksgiving!

Thank you, Father, for blessing me with such special parents and for my siblings. Thank you for the memories of many great times together and for the warmth and laughter which always seemed to fill our house. Thank you for protecting us, for providing for us so abundantly while we were growing up and for carrying us through some very difficult experiences too. It’s hard to let go of the past and move on. Please help me to face the future with courage and unfailing faith in you. And help me to love others just as our parents loved us.

       I love you.  In Jesus’ name Amen.  

     “This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1John 3:11 NIV