Memorial Day
This Memorial Day weekend, here in the United States, we commemorate the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. Some will have picnics or barbecues not thinking of the significance of the day, while others make deliberate choices to honor these individuals who died for our freedom. People raise their American flag- half mast until noon and full mast until dusk on Memorial Day. Some attend Memorial Day parades or services. Some watch Memorial Day Movies such as “D-Day” or “The Best Years of Our Lives”. There are Memorial Day concerts on NPR and PBS. Additionally, there is a National Moment of Remembrance that is observed at 3 P.M. local time. These activities call into remembrance what these heroes did for our country.
What I Remember
As I think about Memorial Day, I realize that I actively preserve the memories of certain events in my life. I’m a person who tend to perseverate on past events. I can do this for both good and bad, but I admit that I do this most often with events that have hurt me. I think of them over and over again just like playing a broken record.
What I Choose to Think
I used to think I didn’t have a choice in what I remembered. Still, I acknowledge that I choose what I think. We’re told in Philippians 4:8 what to think about. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” This is so important for a perseverating person like me.
I Set My Heart and Mind
I know that I am to set my heart and mind on Christ, not on what the world has done to me.
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4
I Choose to Remember God’s Goodness and Grace
I think of the painful events of my past. I play these events over and over again in my head. But today, on this Memorial Day, I choose to think of God’s goodness and grace. God has always been with me, and I may never know all God has protected me or saved me from. Neither will I know, this side of heaven, all the reasons God allowed the pain and suffering in this life. I do know God did use my pain to draw me into a deep, close, personal relationship with him which I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. By choosing what I think about, by choosing to remember God’s goodness, I help preserve the remembrance of what God has done in my life.
I Am Not Defined by My Past
I am defined by my Savior and my God, not by my past. He called me out of the darkness of my sin and also rescued from the darkness of the sin the was perpetrated against me. And wonder of wonders, and joy of joys, God called me into his marvelous light.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
I Am a Child of God
I belong to God. Not only so. More importantly, I am a beloved child of God. When I became a Christian, God gave me that right to be his daughter.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
God Helps Remove the Broken Records
One of the ways in which God has helped me remove from my mind that old broken record of all my hurts from the past was by enabling me to forgive my abusers. I’ll write on that another day, but I will tell you that through forgiveness, God set me free. Once I was able to forgive those who hurt me, I was able to let go of those painful events, and to some extent, even of the memories of them. I have forgiven the offenders, let go of and released the offenses, and broken free of replaying those records.
God Provides for Me When I Again Feel My Pain
On occasion, something or someone has bumped up against me or one of my scars. And it has been on those days that I once again felt the pain of some aspect of my past. But I went before our God in prayer, and I experienced God’s love and presence so profoundly I could almost reach out and touch it. God has always provides for me exactly what I need, and some days, that special experience was exactly what I needed.
My Words: A Memorial of God’s Goodness and Grace
This is what I want my words to make a memorial of. I want to preserve the remembrance of God’s love and goodness and grace. My God is always with me. My God loves my completely and perfectly, and always will. I can rest safe and secure in my heavenly Father’s steadfast love for me.
But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your name may be filled with joy. For You bless the godly, O LORD; You surround them with Your shield of love. Psalm 5:11-12