Memories

Ah, memories. This afternoon, i've begun moving all of my belongings into my new room in the basement. Shoes, clothes and STUFF are easy to move; memories, not so much. I had photo album upon photo album, scrapbooks, old love letters, photo collages, ticket stubs and old bits and pieces of memories. The hardest part about memories are the emotions they evoke, especially when they tell of love lost, old friends you have lost contact with, and people that have faded away. While i was laughing one moment at the AWKWARD silly things i wrote about old crushes in some of my journals, i was overcome with sorrow going through things that remind me of those i'm no longer close with. It's crazy how that works, huh? God truly does work in seasons.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I think the weirdest part of memories is how much they represent the idea of time and time passed. They tell stories, they speak of where we HAVE been, who we once were. How humbling it was to look at prayers i had written down and to see how the Lord has answered them, in time. No matter our memories, no matter the intensity of the bittersweet feelings they evoke, no matter where we've been, no matter where we are NOW, no matter how much we've changed, one thing is certain: While our memories are fleeting, while our circumstances, relationships, etc. are constantly changing, the Lord does not. He never changes! His love never fails, He will NEVER fail or forsake us. Even if memories tell of happier days and the present appears bleak, the Lord is still the same. Yesterday, today and forever. He will bring us through all memories, He will be our constant, and we can hold on to the promise that we will see joyful days once again.

Thank you, God, for the joys of the past. Even the sorrows and tough times, thank you. Even for love lost, friendships that have fallen away, the process of aging, THANK YOU. May they be reminders of your constancy. May they point to Your consistency, Your unfailing glory and your love unending. While seasons come and go, while events and people become mere memories, You stay the same.