GREAT MEMORIES
Every once in a while, I like
to reflect on what a blessing it was to visit my grandpa and grandma on summer
vacations when I was in grade school. Remembering
all the fun things we did was such a delight and did good for my heart. I hope
we all have some of those good times we remember from when we were little. Recalling
them brings a sweetness to our souls.
Psalm 11:4 says: “He hath
made his wonderful works to be remembered: The Lord is gracious and
full of compassion.” God’s love and compassion is shown to us by a variety of
His works: through wonderful loving people, through animals, through sunrises
and sunsets, through many aspects of the natural world He created.
When we open our eyes and
our hearts to Him, there are many amazing and wonderful works He’s already done
for us, things that we can get pleasure from if we will remember.
Psalm 77:11 says: “I
will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy
wonders of old.”
In the Bible, God told
people to write things as a way to help them remember. I find that writing
things down helps me to flesh out a memory. It helps me to see more of the
details of what makes the memory so good. So I did this with visits to my
grandparents, and I’ll share it as an example of something you might want to do
sometimes, or have your kids do.
“Some of my best memories
are of gramma and grandpa’s house in Bakersfield, California. Many summer
nights were spent sitting restfully under the grapefruit tree, while the blue
neon-winged Junebugs buzzed as they hit and clung to the screen door on the
porch. That grapefruit tree was huge and widespread, giving shade to all of us
(sometimes seven people, sometimes 16), seated comfortably on bouncing green
metal chairs. It was delightful, about 70 degrees I imagine, just perfect.
The fence around the
property was thin twisted metal wire, somewhat protective, decorative, and a
nice complement to the freshly cut green grass. I loved that house. Everything
was intriguing to me at eight years old, and especially my grandpa’s small
round trailer, parked under the slatted wooden shelter. My sister and I would
make mud pies and entertain ourselves at the tiny kitchen table in the trailer.
There was a drinking fountain outside the trailer that shot way over the basin
and onto the brick patio. Half the fun was trying to control the water and
retrieve it to use for our mud pies.
The grapevine trellis: I
don’t remember eating the grapes, but it provided a wonderfully cool resting
spot for Midnight, the cat when he wanted to watch grandma and me hanging
laundry out on the line. Midnight and I had a special connection of love,
unspoken. I loved climbing into the apricot, fig, and orange trees they had in
the back yard. My grandma had an orange juice squeezer made of porcelain, just
big enough to put half an orange on and twist until the small gutter was full
of fresh orange juice. I don’t know if I’ve tasted juice that good in over 50
years, but I’d know it’s distinctive bite if I did, for sure.
The fern on the front
porch was spectacular: delicate and dangerous! Who could fathom such a
conundrum? A soft feathery fern, with very sharp thorns on the long stems. But
it was grandma and grandpa’s house after all: mysteries at every corner. I
loved it, always an adventure. We’d take trips to the desert to dig up shark’s
teeth from long ago, and my grandma would pick up interesting rocks and sticks
that looked like birds or animals or other familiar things she thought they looked
like.
We had all kinds of
adventures but one of my favorite’s was Sunday school. I loved the stories of
Jesus and I especially like the crafts we did to re-emphasize the story and
make them stick in my eight-year-old mind. My grandma was the teacher and I
remember the small wooden chairs with metal arms as we sat around a big
rectangular maple-colored table, me being enthralled by the Bible stories. Then
when I got to sit next to my grandma at the adult church, I sang very quietly
so I could listen to her. She had the most beautiful voice. I thought she must
sound like an angel.”
Those of you who have
children or grandkids, I urge you to make your experience and influence on them
as memorable as mine was. These wonderful acts don’t go unnoticed, believe me.
They are such a wonderful secret gift, never even forgotten by God Himself!
Love, Carolyn
You can find my books and
booklets on this link:
https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Sample-SUPERNATURAL-POWERS-ebook/dp/B00HZ2CB58/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=wings+Sample+F+Supernatural+powers&qid=1606953296&sr=8-1
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