Give me a word, Lord: BARE FEET and CLIMBING TREES

Ephesians 4:7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.

Psalm 143:5-6 I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.  I lift my hands to you in prayer.

When I think back to my younger days, it seems that the days were long and the years were longer. It took five years to get from one Christmas to the next in kid years. But I reflect back now, and I realize that as a child my mind wasn’t filled with many memories because I hadn’t yet made a lot of memories. As an adult, growing older each minute, I now recognize that the days are much shorter and it only takes a month for a year to pass in adult years. Time is slipping by so quickly. Our minds are storehouses of memories of days gone by, and we want to sit down and reminisce and reflect on the days gone by. Why? Why do we do this? I personally feel that reminiscence is a gift from God, and it is a gift that He fully expects us to take advantage of. When we reflect back on the days of old, we remember experiences, good and bad. We remember the trials, but we also remember how God’s grace pulled us through each and every time. We reflect on the many times that God showed us mercy when we surely didn’t deserve even a second thought.

I am so thankful that my good God has left my memory intact, and I love it when He allows me to return down those old country roads. It only takes a smell, a sight, or perhaps even a sound to cause me to reminisce on the days of old. While I was riding around with my husband last weekend, I noticed that the Mimosa trees have started blooming. Every time I see those fuzzy pink blossoms, I am taken back to my youth. I was a regular old tomboy. My daddy raised six girls and no boys. I enjoyed the outdoor life. I enjoyed fishing, walking in the woods, riding in the police car with my dad, and hanging out at the Sheriff’s department for hours on end. I only wore shoes for church and school, and the bottom of my feet were as tough as cowhide. I walked many miles on those bare feet, and I climbed many a tree. The Mimosas bring me back to my grandparents house each year as the first blossoms appear. My daddy’s parents had a big old Mimosa tree at the corner of their front yard. I remember climbing that with my bare feet and lanky arms and legs. My sisters and I climbed and laughed and had a ball in that old Mimosa tree. I loved that old tree. As we drove past Grandma’s house going to my daddy’s this week, I pointed out the old stump to my husband and once again remembered those barefoot days climbing trees.

That may seem like a silly little detail of my childhood to some, but that small memory is flooded with many more memories. It is tied to the very people who instilled a love for Christ in me. My grandparents raised up my godly father who raised up six children in Christ. I didn’t recognize that as a child. I didn’t realize that my grandparents were instilling a love of Christ in me while I was visiting their home and climbing their tree, but THEY DID! They took time to show me the ways of the Lord. I saw their love for the Lord in their actions and their hard work. Grandma brought us to “singing school” at her church every summer. It apparently didn’t work out as hoped for me because we all know that this girl still can’t carry a tune in a bucket, yet I still remember those days with great fondness.

Today is a good day to reminisce. It’s okay to remember the past as long as we don’t take up residence there. Take some time to remember the people that helped form you into the person you are today. Reflect on who planted the seeds that brought you to Christ. Think about who watered those seeds. Reminisce on the goodness of our great God and remember all of the times that he poured out his grace and mercy in your life. It is those memories that give us the courage needed to continue the road to this thing called life. Those memories also help us when we struggle. When we are going through a difficult season, we can reflect back and remember all of the times that God got us through the difficult times. His love never fails us. He never leaves us. He was there when I was barefooted and climbing trees, and He is right here with me now. Thank you God for growing me in you each and every step of the way.