Remembering has been an important theme in recent conversations. A friend’s visit to a nursing home exposed her to the crankiness of a mother-in-law who suffers the ravages of dementia. Her lost memory leaves little for her to treasure with fondness- knowing only her immediate experience feeds frustratation.

Happier conversations focussed on shared journey moments – conversations that helped us develop our voice or sense of call. One quiet chat reflected an idea I’ve heard from many. “It is a gift you remembered that convsersation we had many years ago”. I replied, “Your story still is important to me.”

Remembering our shared stories is a gift we give to one another. It encourages patience and gratitude. Patience – for the common difficulty we share in overcoming challenges. Gratitude – for the grace we observe acting slowly and often imperceptibly in one another.

Memory that inspires gratitude gives life- if it inspires regret, anger or recrimination it diminishes us. I repeat this line from last week because it is a great barometer of our mental and spiritual health.

A Prayer for Today

God. Remebering is a gift from you. Thank you for the stories that fill my memory bank- stories of your grace-full presence in so many friends’ lives. Forgive me when I I stew over slights and hurts – I don’t need to keep them in the bank. Let your love purify even my use of memory…For Jesus’ sake