Recently, I was visiting with a friend about how we don’t have such a good memory anymore; we can’t seem to remember people’s names. I even have trouble introducing people to friends I’ve known for most of my life because suddenly their name eludes me. And yet I can remember favorite Bible verses and remember how they helped me at times in my life, but I don’t usually remember their “address.” That conversation reminded me of something I read in a book by Harold Kohn called “Best Wishes.”
“A good memory is full of preserved light and warmth. Whenever we sacredly use our memories to review God’s goodness to the people of Israel and to the Christian Church, whenever we employ memory to reflect upon God’s great, saving love and power revealed through Jesus Christ and His kindness and mercy in our own individual experience we are drawing on rich inner reserves long ago stored away. A good memory is not one that possesses instant and complete recall of multitudes of facts. A truly “good memory” is full of good things. It is filled with the radiance of former golden hours. It overflows with stored sunshine, and thus brightens all our days.”
I may have trouble remembering names, but lately I have spent times remembering wonderful memories from my past. I’ve had good family and good friends over the years and an especially wonderful husband who has been my best friend for 62 years. We’ve shared a lot of love together through those years and worked through a lot of difficulties along the way, but we never lost hope that we could work through them together. But my very best thing in life is my relationship with God. Ever since the day I gave my life to Him and asked Him to be Savior and Lord of my life I have been learning what is good for my life through His Word.
Ever since God formed me in the womb He had a plan for my life, a plan for good, as it says in Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”
I looked up the word good in my concordance and there are over 600 references. I can’t read very far in the Bible without noticing what God says is good. I can see the direction God is heading me in by following what He says is good for my life and doing it. He has promised me that if I pray, He will listen to me. I know He hears, although sometimes I think His timing is not exactly what I wanted. But He works things out for good, and I would skip over things if it was up to me, and it wouldn’t be right.
God’s Word brightens my life and shines a light on the path set before me. I know that He is working out things in my life for good. I know that He will guide me to make good choices each day as I read His Word and see what is good and acceptable and perfect to Him. My memories of my life with God are good memories; I trust Him fully, He is a Good God!
