I am amazed at the things people say they remember.  Some boast vivid memories of early childhood in the “say that again” category.  While I often chalk these up to revisionist history, I don’t wish to damage anyone’s reputation as a child prodigy.  I can only say that I see much of my early life through a mist. Some things are living memories, but most flash across my mindscape only occasionally with their mixed messages of joy and grief.

It has been said that what we call a “gut reaction” is actually pattern recognition.  We have seen something before, and, though it is not in conscious memory, we respond according to our past experience.  Like pieces of a puzzle, the small events of our lives fit together making us what we are. Collectively, these pieces tell our story.  It is a mistake to think you can understand the totality of a person by a portion of their lives.

I remember things in a “here and there” fashion.  It is not an intentional selection of memory but perhaps a natural selection.  A life of small deeds is yet a life, and the deeds of a lifetime are quite significant.  From here and now, I sometimes try to rebuild events long past and find the blueprint was lost in a move.  

It’s easy to lose the primacy of the spiritual life- even for those of us who have made it our vocation.  So many things vie for our attention, and it’s frustrating to live in the natural world. In looking back, we see the movement of God in our lives as a continual thing.  Seen and unseen, God is moving. Remembering the ways He has worked on our behalves gives verve to belief.

The spiritual life is a journey.  Seeming small events and forks in the road bring us on our way and forge our destinations.  Many biblical writers successfully used their memories of past victories to help them in crises.  We can do the same if our spiritual lives are active and fresh. Believers throughout history have been urged to keep God’s works in memory against times of discouragement.  We are part of the spiritual continuum.     

Time in reflection is not wasted time.  Without it, we lose our bearings. For spirituality to live, we must nurture and fuel its memories.  As this becomes true in your life, I want it to be true in mine. The steps we take today are the memories of tomorrow.

Sterl