The Goodness of God Part 4: A Different Kind of Memory Loss

Throughout the years I have observed that, as generations age, many tend to look back and long for the "good ol' days", as though things were only good in a previous time. Even younger individuals bemoan the days we are currently living in, wishing we could go back to a "simpler" way of life. A couple of months ago, the Lord started to speak with me about this mindset. It began with the following word:

"The good ol' days are not gone! They are right here. Right now. Today is good! My goodness is not bound by time or space. There is a tendency to look back and say the old days were good because it usually takes the passage of time for you to see things from My perspective and see how My goodness has been present all along.

The days are just as good today as they were then. There is never a need to go back to a certain time, place or way of doing things to find "good" because I am the Source of good and I am the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. I never change. I did not stop creating at Day 6. I am still shaping, molding, forming and bringing order to chaos every day. And I still call it ALL good! My goodness fills all things everywhere. Faith is believing My goodness exists and is in operation right now, in the middle of your present days, whether you fully perceive it yet or not. Ask for My perspective. Trust Me and embrace the "good" of today!"

In the days that followed, the Lord opened up the following in relation to this word. Memory loss, as we think of it, is a very real and debilitating condition for many and an extremely difficult experience for families to walk through. Anyone facing this challenge deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and compassion. But recently, the Lord began to reveal some things about a different kind of "loss" related to memory. 

Nostalgia - how great it is to look at old pictures, videos and memorabilia! Reminiscing over fond memories brings a smile and warms our heart. Stories of days gone by are fun to "re-live" with those we did them with and share with younger generations. Memory "stones" - items or maybe journal entries marking significant events in our past - are valuable in re-affirming the path we are on and our trust in God's goodness and faithfulness. They also serve as a powerful testimony to those around us of what God has done and will do again. 

We have been created with the capacity to remember and are instructed often in God's Word to do so.  Nostalgic trips down memory lane, however, are meant to be just that - a trip, a visit. The taking of an intentional moment to pause, remember and recalibrate before we move on. But we must go on. Our lives are not designed to be lived in Reverse or Park. Sometimes we can get stuck in yesteryear thinking those were the last of the "good times" in our lives. We can find ourselves spending more and more time reminiscing about, or even trying to recreate, those experiences today. Before we know it, we can find ourselves trying to live how we were then, (and recreate who we were then), in the midst of today. 

This is not how we are designed to live. All of life is lived in forward motion. Some seasons of life may move at a slower pace than others but there is always growth, always an increase in the understanding and developing of the identity and purpose within us. The butterfly never tries to re-enter the cocoon or return to being a caterpillar. It simply moves on into the new stage of life it was created for, never questioning its Creator. It has new purpose and functions to carry out that it never could have done as a caterpillar.

The same holds true for us. There is new "goodness" for us today. New stages of life to enter into with new purposes and functions. We, however, have a propensity to question our Creator (or sometimes flat out ignore Him). Nostalgia causes us to look back at the mountain peaks while we often gloss over the valleys, but both brought us to where we are today. Whether we are currently enjoying the view from a mountaintop or walking through a valley, there is always the promise of new ones ahead and all of them are ultimately designed for our good and His glory (Jer 29:11-13). If we are frozen in time, continually looking back or actively retreating in an attempt to go back to our past, we lose today and who we are meant to become for tomorrow. It is a loss triggered by a prolonged focus on memories - memory loss. 

Enjoy visiting the wonderful memories of yesterday. Pause and remember the mighty works God has done in your life and the lives of those you love. But do not let them steal the beautiful life God has for you today, tomorrow and on into eternity. We truly do have reason to celebrate and be thankful for every day in every season of life! What a gift!

In the process of writing this, I paused many times to reflect on wonderful memories in my own life. I would like to dedicate this to my husband Kevin and our two children Matt and Amanda. Remembering all the times we have shared - the highs and the lows. Grateful today for the gift of sharing it all with you and looking ahead to tomorrow with eager anticipation for what our good Father has planned for us!


Kevin: You are a clear voice for truth and justice, fueled by a heart of deep compassion and kindness. You are a voice and visual aid to the world, turning the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to the fathers. The establishing of Godly generations is your inheritance.

Matt: You are a mountain climber in both the natural and the spirit. A standard bearer who charts unknown courses most will not dare to take - blazing trails and establishing pathways for others to follow. You are a warrior, defender, over-comer and more than a conqueror.

Amanda: You are a bright light shining in a dark world radiating the genuine goodness, kindness and love of God to those around you. You boldly proclaim the Gospel everywhere you go - and sometimes you even use words! Your life speaks life!

 I love you and am so grateful we are family!!


 

“Moses said, ‘Please. Let me see your Glory.’ God said, ‘I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I’ll call out the name, God, right before you.’” (Ex 33:18-19a)

Let the whole earth be filled with His glory!