How do we remember those moments, those precious moments, when God is so alive to us that He is RIGHT THERE in the middle of our lives? When He is calling the shots and it is so fantastic and we feel so alive? So happy and exhilarated and ALIVE!
In the Old Testament, they would set up a pillar or pile stones to mark events where God interacted in a powerful way. Joshua and the Jordan River, Jacob and wrestling with the angel, etc.
So, what do we do to remember those moments?
First thing comes to mind are photographs.
And more than even a photograph, a wedding album.
Parents, what is perhaps the single biggest decision your child can make that will determine their joy and happiness and contentment and satisfaction in life? Choosing Christ. Okay. Stick with me.
What is perhaps the SECOND biggest decision your child can make? Who they marry! Who will join with them as one and walk with them every day for the rest of their life. Who will be there to pick them up, and they will pick up their spouse when they fall. Who will be there to encourage, to share joy and sorrow, to believe when they are shaky, to share everything.
Last week I had the absolute joy to meet with the photographer for our son's wedding in March, to choose the final shots for the wedding album. This is one marker, the memory of that day that was of utmost importance in our family. And of UTMOST JOY! On March 5 we were a family of four; since 5:00 PM March 6, we are a family of five!
I looked at the first draft of the wedding album the photographer e-mailed me. Magical. Then I went through all the photos to see which I might want added. We were all SO HAPPY! I don't think I saw one photo of any of us not smiling. Ear to ear smiles. It was so easy, through her photos, to be transported back in time to that day when God blessed all of us in such a concrete way. So this album is our marker.
And yes, I had tears in my eyes looking at the photos. Of before I knew I had cancer. Of us all laughing because we were all filled with joy. It was so easy to laugh.
Well, it still is easy to laugh. And I still feel joy. I'm just more tired these days. That will pass. It is easier to laugh when you aren't tired or hurting physically anywhere on your body. But you do still laugh.
Okay, what other events deserve markers? The birth of both our sons, our wedding day, again we have photos and each other to remember these times when God blessed us. And there are random times I felt God's presence in the paths of our lives.
Two more big ones are Mike's healing from lymphoma and my healing from cancer. We don't have markers from these. Yet. I'm going to do some thinking....
