My birth family and our spouses are doing something fun. Since Covid hit, we decided to meet each Friday for a pre-dinner “happy hour” Zoom meeting. Three of my five siblings live in Washington State, one lives in Arizona, and the other in California. We would never have met this often before, so this is one positive in this strange year.

In her later years, my mother wrote a book chronicling her life with my dad. We siblings asked our oldest sib–the phenomenal English wordsmith in the family–Joyce, to work through the book and edit it. For the past three or so “zooms”,  Joyce has read a portion of the book. It has been good to remember. I often think I won’t forget those memories, but I’m finding I do forget. I am treasuring those long forgotten times and so grateful my mother took the time to write them down.

In the preface, my mother, Rose, quotes this verse:

“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth;
I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name (Isaiah 45:2,3).

Our family is remembering. Throughout the Old Testament–and often in the New, we are reminded to remember:

Don’t forget the things your eyes have seen..

Do not forget the LORD.

Praise the LORD for the good land he has given you.

God provided us with His word. To give us history. And how marvelous it is–so much greater than our lives that are but a blink compared to the big picture. We are admonished to remember. Not forget.

How about starting this day? Remember. Not forget. Praise.

I can’t resist sharing these lovelies. Soon….Spring will be in full bloom.