God's Grace

 

Memories

What gets swept away in the wave of nostalgia? Does truth survive in that tsunami? Does reality and imagination become so intertwined making it impossible to discern the difference? And why is it that our tendencies are to bury the bad and elevate the good things that happened to us throughout our lives? Survival? Forgiveness? A desire to control our own narrative of history?

Let's admit it, pure nostalgia is a blast. To let our minds wander back to the days of our favorite childhood memories, holidays, special events is a wonderful way to spend some free time. But most of us recognize that a visit should not turn into a residence. Longing for the goodness of the past is natural, but remembering the counterbalance of the bad times is a different story.

We want the snowball fights but not the fights in the car. We want the nice without the mess.

So what role does God play in helping us to retain truthful memories?

He is the only one in our lives that remains consistent, faithful, and true. Words of a favorite counselor, guide, mentor, or even our parents may be sweet and wise. Yet few memories come with a true complement of their failures and falsehoods.

Hot Wheels Race Sets

 

The Way Of Holiness

"And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there." (Isaiah 35: 8-9)

What a wonderful promise from God! There will be a time in our future where if we have pledged our allegiance to Jesus Christ, asked Him to forgive our sins, and surrendered our lives to His command, then we shall enjoy an eternity with Him in perfection. 

I love the imagery of the highway, in part I'm sure because I've always loved to travel. But travel is not just about the destination, its a chance to experience new surroundings, to learn and to meet new people, to overcome new challenges. Well, the Way of Holiness will be like no other journey we've ever taken. 

Before we dive in to this scripture let me ask you a question, "Have you ever planned a trip that you really didn't want to take?" If you ended up taking that trip it probably wasn't a great experience. I've found the best trips are when I am prepared and eager to shed my current view and enthusiastic about seeking out a new place to explore. The same preparation is true if we want to gain access to God's highway as well.  You see, there are conditions for who can even enter this road . . .