I know I’ve often written about trips down memory lane! Perhaps it’s because memories are built into all of us. They help define who we are, where we’ve journeyed over the years, who we’ve met, and what we’ve attained. To lure me into thinking further on this subject, a recent memory post by Facebook on my page took me back to 2012 when I did a 17-day book tour/speaking engagement on the East Coast (A detailed post of that trip can be found in my September, 2012 blog post.) I drove the 4200 km journey with my dear friend, Luella Smith, and to say we laughed a lot would be an understatement!
Waiting to cross over to Digby, Nova Scotia from St. John, New Brunswick. I don’t like boats, but I even drove onto a ferry a second time when we crossed over to Prince Edward Island! (BTW, can you see why we have often been mistaken for sisters!)
In seeing the Facebook memory, I was immediately reminded of the friends I made and the enriching experience I had in accepting the monumentous challenge, while never forgetting the hilarious times Luella and I had while driving such a distance. Pictures truly speak volumes!
On route home—minutes from crossing into the States from New Brunswick—we just had to stop for a picture! The fall scenery was stunning. With the aid of the car roof—and after one failed attempt—we managed to get the coveted selfie!
We are still laughing at the memory of that moment!
For sure, pictures do speak volumes and we do draw from the memories of bygone years. But memories don’t have to be drawn only from the past, as I have shared above. Sometimes memories can evolve from moments in a routine day; however, in the busyness of life, we often miss those precious moments. I’ve come to believe that memories must evolve from those precious moments in order for them to become precious memories…such as time spent with our great grandsons this past summer.
These pictures reflect precious moments that now live in my mind and heart as precious memories!
‘Bo’ (short for Boaz) and baby deer greeting each other!
Sisters (Julia and Laura) with son and nephew, Boaz
Grand Nana Ruth with second great grandson, Isaac, 2 weeks old
Grandma Jenn and first grandson, Boaz
Papa Doug with great grandson, Boaz watching the birds at the feeders in the rain.
Isaac at 3 months, looking so much like his daddy when Ben was a baby!
Aunty Lu and Bo looking over Mary Lake, Huntsville, Ontario
Boaz at Sandhill Nursery Fall Festival, Huntsville, Ontario
Having trotted down memory lane through just a few pictures (and trust me, I have dozens more!), let me share one more thought on memories…
Alan Jackson is an American country music artist. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as “neotraditional country.”(For the want of knowing, “neotraditional country” is a music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a traditional country vocal style.) As well as writing many of his own songs, Jackson has recorded twenty-one studio albums, including two Christmas albums. In February 2006 he released his first of two gospel albums entitled Precious Memories (one of several Platinum-selling albums for Jackson). Below is the opening verse from the lead song—with the full song following—and it summarizes all that I’ve tried to share through just a few pictures.
Precious memories, unseen angels, sent from somewhere to my soul.
How they linger ever near me and the sacred past unfolds.
Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul.
In the stillness of the midnight, precious sacred scenes unfold.
And one last thought…Psalms 143:5…
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.”
We need to remember and dwell on God’s past deeds, exploring how His influence has shaped our lives. Meditating on His works not only strengthens our faith but also nurtures our gratitude for His divine interventions.
Happy memory-making!
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