All Memories Have Teachable Moments.

“ Granddad, tould you tell me dat story again, pease?”

“What story is that?” Granddad would inquire.

“Oh, you ‘bemember dat one about how you payed hooky from dat school and you blowed your horn on dat mountain and scared dem cows.” And, no matter how many times the story was heard, it always seemed to satisfy a need in a young child’s heart.

Our grandchildren love to hear the stories of their parents and grandparents adventures. I recall when ours were little, they couldn’t be still for a lot of things but if their granddad was telling something about his past, they could set still for a very long time. I feel sure those stories will be passed down from our children and grandchildren for many generations.

“The hippocampus, amygdala and other areas in the limbic system are involved in encoding, storage and retrieval of information that includes intense emotional and personal memories.” (E-How.com) I’m so thankful that when God created humans, He structured our brains in such a way that we can store and retrieve memories.

As we age, our memory changes. Some can recall things that happened many years ago but can’t recall what they had for dinner last night. Yet others can remember current things and yet have no recollection of the past. Most of us have seen the ravages of Alzheimer in loved ones. What a terrible disease. . Maybe that’s why it’s important for us to collect and preserve memories of our lives for the next generation. There may come a time when recollection of these things will be no more and they will be lost forever.

Our memories play an important role in our lives. As I wrote recently in my blog, we have very special memories of wonderful friends. Most of us have good memories of growing up. We remember fishing trips with our dad; making cookies with our mom; spending the night with a grandparent; best friends in school ; first loves; your wedding day, etc. Something I think is important for all of us to remember is this: Not all memories are good but all memories have teachable moments. The death of a loved one isn’t a pleasant memory. However, remembering that reminds us of the brevity of life and should cause us to hug our loved ones closer and more often. A terrible accident isn’t a pleasant memory but bringing it to mind usually causes us to be more cautious.

All of us have good and bad memories stored in our brains. Those memories have shaped the person we are today. What are some special memories in your life? Are you sharing them with your family? Are you writing them down for future generations?

“Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart.”Philippians 1:3-4 MSG