The Gift of Memory

While I do not consider myself a 'techy' person, I do understand the supreme need for memory when it comes to computers. I know that in the last few years, with the advent of more high resolution games and diverse usage of computers, the need for more memory is important. Long before Al Gore or Bill Gates, or whoever in the world invented computers and internet, God had already created the greatest memory ever....the one in your mind.

It is amazing how wonderfully we are made. God made us to be able to recall events of the past. Right now you can remember mental pictures of vacations you've had, friends you've known, and special experiences you have had. Sometimes a certain song, or even a certain smell can trigger a memory. Often I attempt to comfort the bereaved by reminding them of the gift of memory God has given to us. As long as we live, and have a healthy mind, we will be able to remember those who have passed from our midst.

Let me share a memory with you. My grandpa Estes was a wonderful man. His life revolved around keeping his family, hard work and looking out for his fellowman. He was a cowboy and a farmer. Something about that in itself gives him a larger than life idealism in my childhood mind. I loved his boots and hat. I even liked the blended smell of tobacco and after shave lotion that was uniquely him. When he grew old and was in a nursing home, my dad and I walked in one day and could hear him singing before we got to his room. He was sitting up in bed. His thinning hair was sticking up everywhere and he was oblivious to the world. His fingers were drumming on his chest as he tapped out a beat to which he sang, "Do Lord, Oh Do Lord, Oh Do Remember Me!"

Yesterday I thought of that song and when I did, immediately I thought of my grandfather. Thank you Lord for the gift of memory where we can keep alive those special moments of life. Throughout the Bible we are told to reflect and to remember. May it be so with you today.