Photos and Memories (By Les Kovacs)

Bible Verse: “Remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:18)

I was looking through some old family photo albums recently with my sister. Page after page was full of images that brought memories flooding back.  We had a great time remembering the stories we hadn’t thought of in many years or had simply forgotten. We particularly enjoyed our wedding photos.  We recognized most of the people in our wedding parties but had to be think real hard about who some of them were – “That’s what my brother used to look like with hair!”

It was incredibly fun to recall all the memories we made growing up.  The days at the beach, family vacations,  holidays, birthdays, weddings.  When we were young, there was so much to look forward to, so many dreams to live out.  For young people with little experience in life, the future can be both wonderful and overwhelming.  Then in what feels like a heartbeat, most of it is behind you, and you wonder where it all went.  Life refuses to stand still, always bringing the next chapter: a new job, a move, kids, a health scare, and aging family members. A collage of photos, memories and stories; some good, some painful, but all of them were our stories.

As Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, he discovered that their memories tended to fade and they would forget what God had done for them.  Their memories were just as short as ours.  He constantly had to remind them of God’s mercy and goodness towards them.    How God had chosen them, built them into a nation, defeated the gods of Egypt and rescued them from Pharaoh.  In other words, Moses had to remind of them of their story as the chosen people of God.  And later, the prophets, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the rest, also would have to repeatedly remind the people of their story, and of God’s love and faithfulness to them.

We are like the Israelites, however, and must remember that our story is not just ours alone.  We are not separate from God’s story.  He is the Creator of all, and as He weaves together the tapestry of history, each one of our stories becomes a small thread in the greater whole, creating a work of art beyond ourselves.  The more we pour ourselves into His will, the more vibrant the strands of our story are.  The more we emulate the Lord Jesus, the stronger the threads of our lives become.   

The next time you look at old photos, remember the shared moments of your life, and thank God for His faithfulness and mercy.  Praise be to our Father in heaven!