Precious Memories

There are certain things in the past that I would choose to forget and leave in the past.  Mistakes, regrets, hurts.  But on the other hand, there are some things from the past that I pray I will never forget.  Best friends, great music, fried bread and coca-cola.

In 1980 after the untimely death of my mom, I went to live with a precious family that took me in as one of their own.  I didn't know it at the time, but thirty years later now, I look back and see how God so graciously orchestrated this very tender, broken and incredibly special time in my life.  He took a seemingly hopeless situation (I was 17 years old and my mom had been killed in a tragic bus accident) and through the love of this family and my precious best friend, He brought restoration and grace to a broken-hearted teenager.  My friend has told me on more than one occasion that I saved her life.  But, the truth is that God used her and her family to save mine.  While the pain of my mother's death is a memory that I don't like to remember, the result of her death orchestrated some of the dearest and most special memories of my life.

Last week, I had the opportunity to walk into that house again after over 25 years and was overwhelmed with a flood of emotions and memories as I revisited every room.  I could hear us lying in bed talking late into the night; I saw her brother banging tennis balls against the side of the house; I saw us sitting at the piano singing for hours on end.  And oh, the food.  My dear sweet mom made for me fried bread and coca-cola. My favorite. Suddenly, it was 30 years ago, once again.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."  If you are going through a battle in your life today, I challenge you to put your trust in God and watch His hand at work.  When He brings you through, I'll bet you'll also find precious memories on the other side.