Creating Memories

What a beautiful day!  As I sit before my computer this morning, I am both exhausted and exilarated!  At the end of July, my hubby and I took 2 (ages 13 & 10) of our 8 grandkids to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  We spent the night in a hotel and also spent some time riding go-carts.  It was a wonderful time spent with 2 of our great loves.  Then last weekend we took 2 (ages 11 & 8) more of them to do the same thing.  This weekend we are doing it all again with 3 more...only this time we are taking a 6-year old and 2 4-year olds!  [Our last grandbaby is only 14 months old so we will wait to take him.]

It is an absolute wonderful time and I think the kids really enjoy themselves.  We make the entire time about THEM!  It is quite exhausting but I wouldn't change it for the world.  I am thankful to have the ability to take them.  I want to create memories for them.  I have many cherished memories about times spent with my grandparents and I want my babies to have the same thing.  Now that my grandparents are all gone...all I have left is the memories of times spent with them. 

As I think about that...I begin to reflect on the times I spent with my own kids.  Their childhoods went by so fast and now they are grown.  I pray that the memories they have are good ones and not negative.  My brother and I are the product of the same two parents and lived the same childhood.  My daddy worked and did whatever he could to make ends meet.  I think our childhood, while not perfect, was a good one.  My brother tells a different story.  He thinks that our childhood was awful.  He thinks that he never got anything he wanted...blah, blah, blah.  I don't remember ever wanting something so bad that my mama and daddy didn't find a way to get it for us.  How is it that we grew up in the same house with the same parents that we see things so differently?  I just don't understand.  I pray that my kids will remember the good more than they do anything that was bad.

As I reflect on my own kids' childhoods, I begin to think about my memories with my heavenly Father.  Now, mind you, it's not the same kind of memories, but they are memories nonetheless.  How often have I gone off and done my own thing without even thinking about my Abba Father?  How often have I done things without asking 'permission' from Him?  What kind of 'spiritual' memories have I created?  How many times have I told my heavenly Father that I didn't need Him and can do it by myself?  We've all done this kinds of things to/with our earthly parents...and I'd hazard a guess that we've all done them to/with our heavenly Father, too.

But here's the good part...we can make it up to Him.  We can 'repent.'  We read in 1 John 1:9 (NIV)  "⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  Not only will God forgive us and purify our hearts...Hebrews 8:12 tells us that He will never remember our past sins!  "¹² For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 

Just as I know that along the way I have created good and not so good memories for my kids and grandkids, I know that I have done the same thing with my heavenly Father.  However, the difference is that God ONLY remembers the good!  That's what His Word says!  So, even though we remember the bad (like my brother seems to only remember the bad from our childhood) God remembers ONLY the good (like, while I'm sure there is some bad, I choose to remember the good from my childhood).  We can rest in the knowledge that God is good and just.  Once we confess our sins and repent (turn from), we have a new, clean slate with God!  For that I am thankful! 

I  urge you to take time to make memories with your children, grandchildren, parents, friends and family.  You will be glad you did.  Be sure to make spiritual memories with your heavenly Father, too!

Have a blessed day!